Batman: Civil Unrest
by Boskov01
Summary: Batman is on the run after being framed for murder, but things take an unexpected turn when numerous Gotham citizens join together as an organized militia and begin a literal war on crime. Now Batman has to clear his name while trying to evade the Police and prevent all-out war within Gotham.
1. The Unthinkable

**Summary:** Batman is on the run after being framed for murder, but things take an unexpected turn when numerous Gotham citizens join together as an organized militia and begin a literal war on crime. Now Batman has to clear his name while trying to evade the Police and prevent all-out war within Gotham.

 **Disclaimer:** I own nothing save for a few minor OCs.

 **A/N:** I was kinda inspired by the premise of the game Gotham City Imposters. The notion of a gang using the Batman moniker while going up a similar gang themed around the Joker, was interesting, but I wanted to do more with it. The notion of the citizenry going against some of the Rogue's Gallery was also inspired by the scene early in The Dark Knight where the citizens dressed as Batman (only while wearing hockey pads instead of an awesome suit) used firearms to attack the Scarecrow.

Timeline wise, this story takes place sometime after my original story "Batman: Political Suicide."

* * *

 **December 2nd  
11:02 PM  
K. Conroy Jewelers – Downtown Gotham**

As was usual of the late evenings, Gotham City was far from being a quiet town. The night clubs of the entertainment district were cranking up for the evening, the major restaurants were closing down, and the criminal elements of Gotham were weighing whether or not tonight was worth the risk of attempting anything for fear of Gotham's Caped Crusader swooping in and messing up any well-conceived plans.

Tonight, it would seem, was worth the risk as a trio of armed thugs broke into the K. Conroy Jewelry Store in a smash-and-grab, smashing the displays and shoving the jewelry into black duffle bags amidst the alarms.

"Come on! Come on! Hurry! Cops 'll be here any minute now!" one of the crooks yelled from the door, keeping a lookout.

"Alright! We've got enough! Let's go!" one of the crooks yelled, the three hurrying out the door and into their getaway car, the car peeling out just as a pair of police cars, lights and sirens blaring, rounded the corner, chasing after them.

"Aw come on!" the crook in the backseat groaned, raising his SMG and firing out the back window, the front passenger crook leaned out partially to fire back at the cops as well, their chase heading into Gotham's Industrial District. The GCPD Officers were firing back with pistol shots but the shots weren't enough to do any real damage. The backseat crook popped back up with his SMG and opened fire again, managing to pierce the front right tire of the closest cruiser, causing it to spin out of control, the second cruiser hitting it at the front and careening into a light post.

"HA! We lost 'em!" the crook in the back cheered as he sat back down towards the front.

"Heh! The boss 'll be happy to hear that." The driver said with a grin, the crook in the passenger seat leaning back slightly before noticing something in the passenger side mirror. He looked and saw something shadowy approaching them from behind.

"Hey, Stosch! What's that behind us?" he asked, the crook in the backseat furrowing his brow, confused as he sat up and looked out the back again. He saw a large, sleek, black metal machine rolling quickly towards them but he couldn't make it out.

"What is that?" he muttered to himself. Suddenly the machine's headlights flashed on, the machine's windshield turning transparent, showing a certain Caped Crusader at the steering wheel, his masked face illuminated by the dashboard lights while his two sidekicks sat in the back in the shadows. The crook immediately paled.

"Oh crap! IT'S THE BAT!" He freaked.

"Well don't just sit there! Shoot 'im!" the passenger crook yelled, he and Stosch quickly raising their guns, opening fire on the Batmobile but their bullets didn't even scratch the finish. Batman merely narrowed his eyes and revved the engine, the Batmobile lurching forward, hitting the bumper of the crooks' getaway car, the driver struggling to maintain control.

"Why won't he go down?!" the driver asked as the Batmobile pulled forward and to the left, attempting to pit maneuver the getaway car, successfully forcing it into the loading yard of a nearby factory complex, the car hitting a parking block which sent the car flying. Fortunately for the crooks it landed upright but had the car on a collision course for a large shipping container. The driver slammed on the breaks, the car slowing down but still colliding with the container at about twenty-six miles per hour. All three crooks quickly abandoned the car with their stolen goods as the Batmobile came screeching to a stop nearby, the canopy opening and allowing the Batclan to literally leap into action, chasing after the crooks on foot. Two of the crooks headed deeper into a maze of shipping containers while the third, Stosch, turned and fled towards the factory itself.

"Take those two! I'll take the other!" Batman ordered to Robin and Blackbat.

"On it!" Robin replied before he and Blackbat grappled into the air, Batman continuing his pursuit of the criminal. Stosch was running in fear of his life, not sure what the Batman would do to him if he caught him. Stosch was running out of strength, running as fast as he could but the Batman was hot on his tails, or so he assumed. He looked back and saw nothing but the darkness of an empty parking lot. He turned back towards the front, running towards a streetlight near the entrance of the facility but was suddenly tripped up at the legs, falling onto his face. He tried to move but found his legs had been bound at the ankles by a set of bolas. He groaned as he rolled onto his back in time to see the Batman stepping into the light. Stosch attempted to raise his SMG but it was kicked from his hands. Batman then proceeded to grab him by the collar with both hands, shoving him up against the base of the streetlight.

"W-W-What do you want with me?!" Stosch asked before feeling something clicking shut around his left wrist. He looked and saw Batman cuffing his left arm. Stosch tried to run but Batman merely spun him back around, dislocating Stosch's left arm in the process, causing Stosch to scream in pain.

"OH GOD! MY ARM!" He screamed as Batman slipped around and cuffed his right arm together with his left, effectively cuffing him to the streetlight.

"The GCPD will be here for you soon." Batman said, suddenly hearing the sweep of someone's footsteps nearby. He looked around but saw no one. He started to move away from the sobbing Stosch to investigate the sound, but saw nothing. He started to approach a shipping container nearby and looked around the side of it but again saw nothing. He could hear the sound of police sirens getting closer and could even see the flashing red and blue lights flashing against the sides of buildings as they got closer. As he looked he suddenly heard a bloodcurdling scream from Stosch. Batman came running back around and saw a shadowy figure running away from Stosch who was still cuffed to the streetlight. The figure was running away from Batman who immediately gave chase. The figure ran into the shadows as Batman ran into the light in pursuit, but by the time he reached Stosch, the figure had vanished and the Police were rounding the corner, coming to a stop near the Batman. Commissioner Gordon climbed out of one of the lead cars as officers swarmed the scene. Batman turned towards the Commissioner who was looking at the suspect as he approached but paused mid-step.

"Commissioner." Batman greeted simply but Gordon didn't react, a look of growing disbelief on his face. Batman immediately sensed something was wrong and turned towards Stosch and saw what the Commissioner did. Stosch was lying limp against the streetlight, blood flowing from his neck, staining the front of his clothes, his eyes wide opened with a look of terror frozen on his face. Worse was the weapon that had done the damage was still sticking out of his neck and it was something that Batman recognized right off: One of his own batarangs.

"Batman…" Gordon said, Batman looking towards the Commissioner who seemed perplexed and conflicted, "…can you explain why that man has one of your batarangs stuck in his neck?"

Batman noticed the police officers murmuring amongst themselves, unsure of what to make of the situation.

"Not yet." Batman replied as Gordon sighed, reaching for his gun.

"Batman, in the years that we've worked together, you've not given me any reason to doubt you. So please, give me a reason to doubt this. You've gotta give me something, anything." Gordon said, Batman noticing the officers around him. Aside from one or two veterans, they were mostly rookies, most of whom had their hands near their guns. Batman subtly activated a device on his utility belt, the device starting to emit a soft but high pitched sound.

"You know where I stand, how I operate. You know I don't kill." Batman replied as Gordon sighed.

"I know, but the case…there's no one here but you. No other witnesses. One of your own devices stuck in the victim's neck. It looks obvious and I know it's gotta be a frame job. But I also know protocol. Are you sure you can't explain it? A bad throw perhaps? Suicide by Batman? Anything?" Gordon asked but Batman took a step back. When he did, the rookie cops drew their weapons, pointing them at Batman. Gordon sighed and pulled the handcuffs from his belt.

"Batman…Go easy on me." He said softly. Batman nodded understandingly.

"I won't even touch you." Batman replied as he looked away. That's when Gordon and the other cops heard something on the wind. A screeching and squeaking sound. Gordon recognized the sound and quickly ducked down just in time for a swarm of bats to fly in, swirling around Batman and disorienting the cops. Batman calmly stalked his way through the cops, the Batmobile roaring up. Batman looked back towards Gordon who rose to his feet, partially shielding himself from the bats.

"Do what you need to, Commissioner, and I'll do the same!" Batman said over the screeching of the bats before climbing into the Batmobile and racing away, the cloud of bats dispersing within seconds of his departure.

"Commissioner! Do you want me to set up roadblocks?!" one of the officers asked, earning a sigh from Gordon.

"Do it. Spread the word, the Batman is to be arrested on sight. Suspect heavily armed, extremely dangerous, driving a black…tank." Gordon said, reluctantly. The rookie officer gave a nod and rushed away to make the call. Meanwhile, Robin and Blackbat were waiting in the shadows of a crane, the other two robbers strung up on the side of the crane, watching as the Batmobile rolled up. They immediately rushed to the Batmobile, climbing in.

"What's going on? Blackbat heard the swarm fly past." Robin said as the canopy on the Batmobile closed, Batman remaining silent. The Batmobile was just starting to turn towards the main road when two more cop cars, lights flashing, drove into their path, the officers climbing out with their guns drawn.

"GCPD! Turn off the engine and step away from the vehicle!" one of the officers ordered.

"Uh, are they talking to us?" Robin asked, Batman revving the engines.

"Hang on." He said before he hit the afterburners on the Batmobile, rocketing ahead, aiming for the very narrow space between the two police cruisers. The officers leapt clear as the Batmobile smashed through the cruisers and roared down the road.

" _Batman! Batman come in!"_ Barbara Gordon/Oracle could be heard over the radio.

"Go ahead Oracle." Batman replied.

" _The GCPD Police Radios are lighting up like a Christmas tree! There's an APB out for you and the Commissioner's calling for your arrest! What's going on?!"_ Barbara asked, Robin and Blackbat both looking at Batman in surprise.

"Not now!" Batman replied as he saw two more police cruisers start chasing after them.

"Whoa wait! What'd you do?! Slug the Commish'?!" Robin asked, Blackbat removing her two-part mask, her domino mask still on her face but looking confused. Batman hit the afterburner again, the batmobile rocketing ahead, outrunning the police easily.

"I'm being framed for murder." Batman replied simply.

" _Wha-Murder?! How?!"_ Oracle asked as the Batmobile rounded a corner, seeing three squad cars coming towards them. Batman quickly maneuvered the Batmobile between them, trading some paint with one of them as they passed.

"A suspect I was chasing was found stabbed to death after I apprehended him. The murder weapon was a Batarang." Batman replied as the Batmobile swerved into one of the highway tunnels.

"It has to be a frame up, like you say! There had to be someone else!" Robin said.

"There was but he got away before I could apprehend him." Batman replied, the Batmobile rocketing through the tunnels.

"Doesn't the Commish think it's fishy?" Robin asked.

"Gordon had to make a call based on the evidence presented at face value, a call I would've made were our positions reversed. I'd expect nothing less of him." Batman replied as they rounded a bend in the tunnels where they could see the police were attempting to stop the Batmobile with spike strips at the tunnel exit but the Batmobile's custom crafted tires were pierce resistant and only succeeded in bending the spikes, leaving the officers dumbfounded as the Batmobile raced past.

" _I can't believe my dad would order your arrest though! After all you've done for this city?! For the world?!"_ Oracle replied.

"Your father's just doing his job. Don't be angry at him for that." Batman replied, spotting a squadron of at least seven squad cars coming towards them from straight ahead. Batman quickly turned the Batmobile hard to the left, hitting the afterburner and taking the Batmobile into a narrow alleyway, the Batmobile hitting the bullseye and squeezing into the alley while the police had to slide to a stop, unable to hit the alley at the speeds they were going. The Batmobile burst out of an alleyway on the opposite side of the block, racing onto an empty stretch of road. Batman quickly flipped a switch on the dash, causing the headlights to shut off and the windshields to darken, allowing an augmented reality video feed of their surroundings to appear, effectively allowing him to drive the batmobile in complete darkness without needing the slightest hint of light outside. Batman brought the Batmobile towards a seemingly dead end road that led to a wall of bushes and large rocks that proceeded to open and swing backwards, allowing the Batmobile access to the hidden driveway to the Batcave.

"So, what's the plan? Go to ground until the heat dies off?" Robin asked as the Batmobile entered the hidden tunnel leading into the batcave.

"No. Going to ground now would only make me look guilty. Our best hope is to apprehend the real murderer." Batman said as the Batmobile came to a stop at its usual space inside the Batcave. Alfred was already making his way inside, a concerned look on his face as the batmobile canopy opened.

"Sir, I overheard on the Police Scanner. There's been a call for your arrest?" Alfred asked as Batman pulled back his hood, passing his faithful butler by as he made his way to the Batcave computer.

"You heard right. Someone's trying to frame me for murder." Bruce said as he sat down, Robin and Blackbat both unmasking.

"So what's the plan?" Robin asked as Bruce sat back in his chair, his mind already formulating a plan of action.

"We will first need to accomplish three tasks. First, an examination of the crime scene. The killer will have left some kind of trace at the scene. Second, we'll need to interrogate the other two thieves. If they're part of the jewelry store heists that've been occurring over the past couple of weeks, then the person responsible for the heists may know who the murderer is. Alternatively, the murderer may have known of the heists. We'd need an interrogation to be sure, although I imagine the GCPD will be able to provide that for us. We'll just need to get to the information. Oracle? Are you there?" Bruce asked.

" _I'm here. I can talk to my dad, or arrange it so I'm 'conveniently' present when that evidence gets filed."_ Oracle suggested.

"No. I don't want you physically involved. Monitor the police channels for now and keep us updated. Alfred, arrange it so that the Wayne Family is officially out of the city for a while. That'll give us an excuse to shy away from public appearances without our masks." Bruce said as Tim looked to Cassandra.

"Ha-ha! Instant vacation!" Tim said, earning a glare from Cassandra.

"No schoolwork perhaps, but plenty of undercover work during the day and a surplus of night work." Bruce replied, deflating Tim Drake immediately.

"Good point. So what's the third task?" Tim asked.

"You need to break into GCPD Headquarters." Bruce replied, bringing up a blueprint schematic.

"Whoa wait, you're not serious are you?!" Tim asked, confused.

"Master Bruce, I assume you don't mean to turn yourself in." Alfred commented.

"If the Batarang used in the murder is one of mine, it'll have a serial number on it. I always track my batarang usage and keep records of which ones I've lost in the field. All I need is that serial number and it should give us a lead." Bruce replied.

" _Us?"_ Cassandra asked in ASL.

"Yes, you." Bruce replied. Tim shrugged, accepting his assignment.

"So we get in, steal the batarang, get out?" Tim asked.

"No, you get in, photograph or make copies of whatever evidence they have on the case with your cowl scanners along with the serial number, then get out. I want nothing to disappear. They already know that I could break in if I wanted to. I've already run from them. I don't want to look any more guilty than I do already." Bruce ordered.

"Wait, what'll you be doing?" Tim asked as Bruce got up from the chair, pulling the cowl back up over his head.

"Investigating the crime scene and creating a diversion for the two of you. Take the Batwing, they won't be expecting a diversion." Batman replied, heading for the Batmobile while Tim and Cassandra put on their masks, hurrying to the Batwing.

* * *

 **End Chapter 1**

 **Please R &R…**

As with all of my Batman stories, I envision Batman in his Arkham Asylum/Arkham City costume. Similarly, I see Robin in his Arkham Asylum costume as well. Blackbat wears her Batgirl costume (the full head mask but still wearing the domino mask underneath for added security). An example of this can be found on Deviant Art by the artist Phil-Cho. He has a lot of good Batman and DC Universe related material that's worth your time.

If you'd also like a visual reference for the Batmobile, I don't really have any specific one in mind. Just assume that the Batmobile is a four seater variant but Batman does have one, two, and even three seater variants.


	2. Crouching Catwoman, Hidden Demoness

**December 3rd  
1:13 AM  
Gotham Steel Works – Parking Lot and Loading Area**

The GCPD had already swept the crime scene, looking for minute details that could either link Batman to the crime or dismiss him entirely. Batman wasn't certain as to whether or not there was any evidence in either direction but would know as soon as Robin and Blackbat returned from their pseudo-heist at the GCPD HQ. The Evidence had already been shipped back to the GCPD so the number of officers present at the scene was down to only two and they were just removing the police tape at the scene. While he watched from the shadows, waiting patiently for the officers to depart, he took the opportunity to engage his cowl's detective mode, looking around for any sort of clues that the Police might've missed. As he looked, he looked towards the shipping container he'd investigated just prior to the murder. His cowl sensors picked up something unusual, a strange substance on the ground and in an isolated spot on the side of the container. The area was just shadowed enough that Batman could slip in unnoticed to investigate closer and that's exactly what he did.

He silently and stealthily approached the substance, kneeling down to get a closer look at the substance. The substance was spaced out like a shoeprint on the ground while the spot on the side of the container was shaped almost like a handprint. He quietly used a small device from his utility belt to collect a sample for analysis, pocketing the device just as he heard the doors close on the police cruiser, the car driving away. He quickly checked to make sure the coast was clear. It was. His survival instincts suddenly kicked in, sensing someone close behind him. He whirled around in his crouched posture to come face to hips with a very familiar person.

"Now we can speak freely, beloved." Talia Al Ghul said, Batman rising to his feet, looking the Demoness in the eyes, despite his obvious height advantage. She was clad in her usual black body suit with no visible weapons on display but Batman knew she had some kind of bladed weapon stashed somewhere. As always, her top was partially unzipped, showing off some of her cleavage in her continued but subtle efforts to seduce the Batman.

"Talia. What are you doing here?" Batman asked.

"Same as you. To see if there is any truth to the rumors that Batman has turned to assassination to achieve his goals. Is there truth to the rumors?" Talia asked, never once losing the loving smile she had on her face.

"No. The evidence is coincidental. Wrong place, wrong time." Batman replied, Talia looking at his chest, tracing a finger across the bat insignia as she walked past.

"Then in that case, you're bound to be cleared of the charges." Talia replied.

"Did you or Ra's have anything to do with this?" Batman asked, suspicious of his lover.

"I cannot speak for my father, but I don't believe it is his doing. We both know that were he out to destroy you, he would confront you directly. He wouldn't go through the trouble of trying to destroy your image. After all, your goals align to some extent. What differs are your methods. He respects your choice of methods although he sees them as flawed. As for myself, I was merely passing through. I'd just arrived this morning from visiting Tibet." Talia explained, turning towards Batman.

"If you'd like, I could arrange it so that the evidence and any material witnesses disappear. The case against you would fall apart." Talia offered but earned a dark glare from the Batman.

"No killing and no thievery. I want this cleared up by the book. It's the only way to clear my name." Batman said as Talia gave a shrug with a smile.

"Of course. I quite honestly expected that to be your answer anyway but thought I'd ask just to be sure." Talia said as she approached him, pressing herself against his chest while staring into his eyes.

"If you get some free time, beloved, you'll be able to find me in my father's old mansion beneath Wonder Tower." Talia said before giving Batman a kiss on his unmasked face before walking away. Batman didn't watch her leave but knew she was gone almost as soon as she had stepped into the shadows. Batman's thoughts were disturbed as his radio came on.

" _Batman, the GCPD has finished processing the evidence. Robin and Blackbat are in position, waiting for the diversion to begin."_ Oracle said as Batman started for the batmobile, parked in the shadows.

"Call it in, Oracle. Batman to Robin and Blackbat. Give the GCPD ten minutes to respond and then move on the evidence lockers." Batman ordered.

" _Standing by."_ Robin replied as Batman climbed into the batmobile. Near the crime scene, Detective Harvey Bullock and his partner, Renee Montoya, approached an intersection in their squad car.

"All I'm sayin' is, it was only a matter of time before the Bat went cuckoo. I wouldn't be surprised if he wasn't linked to a bunch of the unsolved." Bullock commented as Renee growled.

"Harv, the Batman hasn't killed anyone before, not in out-and-out murder like this. Sure there have been deaths attributed to the Batman before but all of them have been ruled an accident. Why would the Batman start now?" Renee asked.

"Dunno. Maybe we can ask him when we catch him." Harvey suggested.

"Yeah, after tonight, what are the odds that we'll see him agai-…" Renee said but was interrupted when they both saw the Batmobile race past them. They sat dumbfounded for a moment before Harvey hit the sirens.

"You wanna finish that statement Montoya?" Harvey asked as they gave chase. Renee let out an audible growl, reaching for the radio to call in the pursuit.

* * *

 **1:26 AM  
GCPD HQ – Crime Lab**

The Police Chase of the century had been going on for about ten minutes now and naturally the upstanding GCPD Crime Lab techs were huddled around the TV in the break room or in the bullpen upstairs watching the news feed covering the chase, leaving the labs unattended and unguarded. One of the vents to the lab was silently opened from the inside, the grating sliding over to slightly behind the wall as Blackbat climbed out, Robin not far behind.

"Okay, that was easy." He mumbled as they started looking through the lab, looking for the files on the case. Robin happened to check a printer nearby and found a series of documents lying in the print tray. A quick look through them proved to be exactly what they were looking for.

"Here, blood test analysis from the victim." Robin said, taking the documents and kneeling behind the counter, out of sight from outside the lab. He then started to scan the documents one by one, by putting a finger to a hidden button on his domino mask, the mask scanning and recording the document before he flipped to the next one and repeating the process. Blackbat was looking across the table for the batarang from the scene. All of the items taken from the scene were placed within clear plastic evidence bags and meticulously laid out on the table with hand written place cards denoting where each item was supposed to go. When she found the space for the batarang however, it was empty. She quickly knelt down, tapping Robin on the shoulder. He looked up curiously.

" _No weapon."_ She signed. Robin furrowed his brow, confused.

" _You sure?"_ he signed back. She gave a nod.

" _Scanner?"_ he signed. Blackbat turned and started looking again, turning on her cowl scanner as she looked around. As she crept across the floor, looking at the various counters and machines along the wall, she heard a slight crunch under foot, feeling something under her right boot. She moved her foot aside and saw something peculiar. A silver colored metal hook of some kind. She reached down and picked it up, analyzing it curiously. She turned back towards Robin, holding the hook up just as Robin placed the documents back into the printer tray.

"What've you found?" he asked, creeping towards her. He looked at the hook for a second before his eyes widened.

"Oracle, we have a problem! The batarang's already been swiped!" Robin whispered into the cowl radio.

" _Say what?! How?!"_ Oracle asked.

"Let's just say a certain feline aficionado has been here recently." He replied, looking at the claw in detective mode but paused. There were fresh heat signatures on the claw's interior.

"Wait, it's still warm. She's still here." He said, looking around for a moment before looking up to see a ceiling panel was slightly out of place.

" _You need to find her before the Police notice the batarang's missing!"_ Oracle ordered as Robin motioned to the ceiling, cupping his hands together at the front, Blackbat quickly pocketing the hook before stepping into his hand, Robin quickly lifting her up into the air, allowing her to push aside the ceiling tile and climb up, closing the panel behind her. Robin quickly dove into the vents, closing it back up while Blackbat hurried through the roof into a separate series of vents, hearing a faint thumping around coming from the vents ahead of her. As she rounded one corner, she saw something move ahead of her, a heeled boot sliding around a corner. Blackbat picked up the pace, hurrying after the fleeting Catwoman. She rounded the corner that Catwoman had turned down in time to see her shadow moving upward. Blackbat kept up the pace, unsure of where Robin was at the moment. On the roof, Selina Kyle/Catwoman, emerged from a vent, slipping out from inside with a satisfied smile as she admired the stolen batarang in her hand. She froze when she heard a banging in the vent behind her and spun around in time to see Blackbat beginning to emerge. Catwoman smirked in amusement.

"Well this was unexpected. Sorry I can't stay and chat, little bat!" Catwoman said before turning and vaulting off the roof, leaping to an adjoining building but Blackbat was undaunted, chasing after her, gliding across from the GCPD building to the roof that Catwoman had landed on. Catwoman was running across the rooftops, vaulting over AC ducts and pouncing over alleyways with true feline skill, Blackbat keeping the pace with her. Just as Blackbat started to vault one of the alleys, Robin grappled up to the roof to join the chase.

"Catwoman! Hold up!" Robin yelled but Catwoman merely laughed in amusement before rounding a corner at the end of the block and letting out a startled "UMPH!" Blackbat and Robin both paused in confusion for a moment before hurrying on to catch up. They rounded the corner to find Catwoman lying on her back on the ground, dazed a little, while another familiar face stood over her.

"Hey Tim. I think you let the cat get out." Nightwing said as he knelt down next to Selina who tried to bolt but Nightwing held her down.

"Dick? When did you get here?" Robin asked, Blackbat quickly snatching the batarang from Catwoman.

"'Few minutes ago. Barbara shot me an urgent message about Bruce getting framed for murder and figured I'd hurry over, see what the deal is. Figured I'd stop by GCPD first to get the batarang serial number when I heard about Selina here swiping the murder weapon over the batwave." Nightwing explained, Selina coyly smiling up at him, wriggling under him seductively.

"Why Grayson, so rough." She said flirtatiously, Robin looking at Blackbat who was looking at the batarang in her hand, her other hand to the hidden button on her mask, scanning the batarang serial number into her cowl.

"You got the number?" he asked, Blackbat looking up with a nod.

"Alright, get it back to the GCPD pronto." Nightwing said, Blackbat giving a nod and grappling away.

"Okay now to you. What are you doing here, Selina? Why steal a batarang from the GCPD?" Robin asked as Nightwing allowed her up.

"Would you believe I was trying to help Batman off?" she asked. Nightwing and Robin both exchanged blank expressions. They had interpreted her answer differently and she noticed, scowling in response.

"Ugh, I meant help him get off the hook for the murder, idiots." She grumbled.

"Yeah well if we don't get this batarang back to the evidence locker before anyone notices it will only make Batman look even more guilty." Robin said as Catwoman arched a confused eyebrow.

"What are you talking about? I know that's one of his." She said.

"Exactly but it could've been used by anyone. He sent us in to get the serial number off the batarang. It'll help us determine when he lost it. He keeps records of the ones he loses." Robin explained.

"And Commissioner Gordon already knows Batman could sneak into the GCPD if he wanted to and look at the evidence without their knowing it. He's done it many times before now. If the batarang disappears or is found missing, it'll only make it look worse for him." Nightwing added, Catwoman blinking in mild surprise.

"Okay, I'll admit, I didn't consider that as an issue. But I'm not the one you should be telling that to." Selina said.

"Why do you say that?" Robin asked.

"Because not only was I stealing it for kicks, but someone else hired me to steal it from the GCPD." Selina said, surprising the two heroes.

"A bit unlike you to go mercenary, isn't it Selina?" Nightwing asked.

"Yeah but I figured if I can do something to help Batman and still make some money for doing it, what've I got to lose? Besides, you should've seen the down payment for the job." Selina said as Nightwing glared at her.

"What kind of payment?" he asked as Catwoman reached into her satchel bag, pulling out a slip of paper.

"Duffle bag full of stolen jewelry. I say stolen because the price tags were still on them. It's how I got the offer. Bag appears on my doorstep and inside is this note." Catwoman explained, handing Nightwing the note. Nightwing unfolded it and read aloud…

"GCPD has Batman weapon in evidence. Steal it from them tonight. Weapon and contents of this bag are yours to keep as reward for the job. Weapon is yours to do with as you please. Unsigned." Nightwing said, folding the paper up and putting it in a pouch on his utility belt.

"If I had known that it could lead to incriminating Batman even more, I never would've done it." Catwoman said as Robin thought of something.

"We're going to need to see those jewels you got as payment." Robin said but Catwoman merely smirked.

"Yeah, like that'll ever happen." She replied.

"It's fair compensation for your nearly getting Batman sent further up the river, that's assuming Blackbat gets the batarang back in time." Nightwing said.

" _I just did."_ Blackbat's voice emulator replied.

"Good work BB." Nightwing replied, a hand to his earpiece. Robin then put a hand to his own earpiece.

"Batman, mission accomplished. You can stop playing cat and mouse with the cops now." Robin said.

" _I heard. Take Selina to Wonder Tower. I'll meet up there as soon as I can dodge the cops."_ Batman ordered.

"Wonder Tower?" Nightwing asked, confusing the others.

" _Yes. I'll explain there. Have Catwoman bring that duffle bag with her."_ Batman ordered.

"Whatever you say." Nightwing replied.

"Why are we going to Wonder Tower?" Robin pondered, Nightwing showing a slightly disconcerted expression.

"There's only one person that I can think of that has any connection to that tower and that's Ra's Al Ghul." Nightwing replied as Robin froze.

"Whoa wait a minute, we're not dealing with the League of Assassins are we?" Robin asked.

"Not sure. We'll find out when we get there. Selina you're with us." Nightwing said as Selina gave a nod.

"If it means finding out who the jerk was that tried to set me up to mess up Batman's chances of getting off the hook, I'm in. Nobody plays me, nobody." Selina said as Blackbat glided in and touched down nearby.

"Alright now let's get going before the GCPD catches wind of us." Nightwing said as they turned and started off towards the aging old tower in the distance.

* * *

 **1:56 AM  
Wonder Tower**

Nightwing, Robin, Blackbat, and Catwoman were lurking in the shadows of Wonder Tower, waiting for Batman to arrive. Blackbat pulled back her mask, leaving only her domino mask on her face. She then tapped Nightwing in the shoulder. He looked at her in time for her to sign out question.

" _What is this place?"_ she asked. Nightwing smiled at the question.

"It's probably worth it to pick up a book on Gotham History, BB, but I'll give you the Reader's Digest version anyway. Wonder Tower is essentially Gotham's answer to the Eiffel Tower. It was built for the 1891 World's Fair and is one of the oldest surviving landmarks in Gotham. Now for the Batman version. In 1891, a reclusive millionaire from an unknown country by the name of Ra's Al Ghul and offered to design and build Wonder Tower as part of the World's Fair. What no one suspected though was that Wonder Tower was to secretly hide one of his Lazarus Pits, the key to his immortality, beneath the tower. Batman and I destroyed that very pit several years ago but it sounds like Ra's has come back to Gotham." Nightwing explained.

"You aren't far from the truth, young Grayson." A voice said from the shadows. They all turned to see Talia Al Ghul standing with her arms crossed behind them.

"Talia?" Nightwing asked, confused.

"My father hasn't come here in years, not since his Lazarus Pit was destroyed by you and Batman. His estate underneath the tower however is still very much intact. I'm the one who calls it home now." Talia clarified as Catwoman stalked up to her, her arms crossed over her chest as well.

"Did you have anything to do with Batman's frame up?" she asked.

"I assure you like I assured Bruce a moment ago, I had nothing to do with it. And as far as I am aware, my father has had no involvement either." Talia replied, defensively.

"Enough!" a familiar voice ordered. They turned and saw Batman gliding in from the north, the police still chasing the Batmobile far off in the distance although Oracle was driving it now via remote.

"Fact of the matter is, this is a clear and obvious frame up. Pointing fingers at this juncture is premature. I'm not ruling out either one of you as suspects." Batman said upon landing. Selina and Talia exchanging cold and emotionless glares, just daring the other to make a move.

"Then what's the plan, Bruce?" Nightwing asked as Batman looked at Blackbat.

"Cassandra, you have the serial number from the batarang, correct?" Batman asked, Blackbat nodding and beginning to use ASL to pass along the number.

" _BM4251940."_ She answered as Batman started pressing several hidden buttons on his gauntlets, causing a holographic display to appear showing an image of the batarang in question along with the pertinent data.

"The batarang was lost in 2009 during an armed robbery case. I lost it after it was knocked from my hands during a struggle with the culprit near the Gotham Docks. I assumed it had fallen into the ocean but it appears someone retrieved it." Batman replied, scrolling through the case file.

"Okay so does the case file say who the batarang was used against?" Nightwing asked as Batman scowled.

"It does. The case took place the same night the Joker attempted to take over Arkham Asylum." Batman explained.

"So it could be anyone involved with the Asylum takeover." Robin suggested.

"No, this one happened before the takeover began. I was apprehending the perpetrator of the attempt." Batman replied as everyone caught on to what he was saying.

"So in other words…" Robin commented as Batman hit a button on his gauntlet, showing an archived mugshot of the grinning Clown Prince of Crime.

"…in other words, it's the Joker." Batman said as the Batclan, Catwoman, and Talia all scowled at the mugshot. They were suddenly interrupted by Oracle coming on over the radio.

" _Batman! Batman come in!"_ Oracle called.

"Go ahead Barb." Nightwing replied.

" _Tune your receivers to Gotham City Radio! The Jack Ryder Show! Quick!"_ Oracle said, the Batclan doing so while Talia and Catwoman pulled their own radios, tuning into the proper channel.

" _-serious? You're calling for the citizens of Gotham to take up arms in defense of the Dark Knight?"_ Jack Ryder could be heard asking before a man's voice answered in a clearly agitated tone.

" _That's precisely what I'm calling for! The GCPD has been conned into this by one of Gotham's major criminal elements and we're tired of their getting away with it! The Batman's been protecting this city for years now without asking anything in return! He's stood up for us, the citizens of Gotham! It's time Gotham took a stand for him! Anyone interested in joining up can sign up at one of three locations in Gotham! The Solomon Wayne Courthouse, the Old Gotham Cathedral, or at the old Monarch Theater! Starting tomorrow night, the Bat_ _man_ _gets the support of the Bat_ _men_ _!"_

* * *

 **End Chapter 2**

 **Please R &R…**

I'm going with Nightwing's Young Justice look for the story here. For Catwoman it's her Injustice Gods Among Us, normal look. For Talia it's her Marvel's Black Widow knock off from the Son of Batman animated film. Not saying the Black Widow look is bad though. It kinda works for both characters.


	3. Civil Unrest

**2:13 AM  
The Secret Residence of Talia Al Ghul**

Talia's home was built beneath the base of the tower and was accessible via a hidden passageway on the north end of the tower's base. After going down a steep flight of stairs was a pair of old cathedral doors. Behind the doors was a veritable late 19th century mansion that had seen extensive renovation over the course of the hundred plus years it's been there. It lacked some modern amenities such as internet but it did have a TV with antenna, the antenna being hidden on the side of the tower above as part of an arrangement to partially convert Wonder Tower into a cell tower. The main tourist lobby and tower section was still open to the public. The mansion was almost upside down as far as conventional house design went, with the main entrance area and the like being on the upper level while the master bedroom and guest rooms were on the floor below. A third level had the long sealed entrance to the defunct Lazarus Pit. The Batclan plus Selina, and Talia had gathered in the library and study of the mansion to discuss the recent developments and plan their next move.

"The Batmen? Didn't that kind of thing happen once already?" Dick asked as Batman gave a nod.

"Back when I first started out, and as word of my existence started spreading throughout the Gotham underworld, some citizens took it upon themselves to attempt to assist me by taking up arms, putting on homemade Bat masks, and attempting to take on some of Gotham's criminal elements. Fourteen civilians lost their lives as a result. I apprehended the citizens along with the criminals which eventually got the message across that I was not in need of assistance." Batman explained.

"Almost. The kids of Gotham still wear capes and masks for fun." Robin added, trying to identify the skeletal remains of some kind of bird that Talia had on display nearby.

"Any chance that this is just one disenfranchised citizen and not a group?" Nightwing asked.

"If the sudden surge of 'We Are Batman,' 'Take Back Gotham,' and 'Batman was framed' hashtags is any indication, it might be a good portion of Gotham." Catwoman commented, looking at her smartphone.

"We'll find out for sure during the day. Nightwing, Robin, I'm sending you undercover. In the morning, I want you to go stake out the locations mentioned by the man on the radio. From the sounds of it there may be a few members already. I want to see how many there are." Batman said before turning towards Blackbat.

"Blackbat, I want you to assist Oracle with a temporary move into the Batcave. Oracle, are you listening?" Batman asked into his radio.

" _Loud and clear. Why am I going to the batcave?"_ Oracle asked.

"I'll explain to you in person when you arrive." Batman said before turning towards Catwoman and Talia.

"Talia, could I ask a favor of you?" Batman asked as Talia smiled.

"Anything, beloved." She said earning an ireful look from Catwoman.

"I need you to verify that your father is not involved. I want confirmation." He said as Talia gave a nod, standing up from her chair.

"It'll take a while and I can't guarantee that I'll get an answer from him. After I separated from the League of Assassins, they may be loath to share information with an outsider." Talia said.

"Try. I agree with your assessment that he isn't responsible. As you've said, if he wanted me dead, he'd go the direct approach and wouldn't mess around with trying to destroy my image. But he could have changed tactics or the Lazarus Pit may have finally sent him over the edge. I want to be sure he's not involved." Batman said, Talia giving a nod.

"And you want the duffle bag from me, right?" Catwoman asked as Batman gave a nod.

"You mentioned that you were paid in stolen jewelry. There's been a string of jewelry store robberies in Gotham lately, in fact it was one of those jewelry store heists that led to this situation. I find it suspicious that a renowned cat burglar would be paid in those same stolen jewels to steal evidence of a murder. It suggests premeditation, that whoever hired you was just building the pot, hoping that I would eventually catch up to the lackeys, when they'd strike and frame me for murder. They would then pay you with the stolen goods to steal the evidence, the disappearance of which would most certainly incriminate me further." Batman explained as Catwoman blinked.

"Diabolical. But all that to ruin your image?" Catwoman asked.

"I believe there's more to it than that. We don't have all the pieces yet. We need to do more investigating to unearth all the clues to put together what happened." Batman explained.

"Alright so I guess for now we disperse?" Nightwing asked.

"Keep to the shadows. If you need to travel to Wayne Manor or the Batcave, go in disguise. No need to draw unnecessary attention from the cops." Batman ordered, the Batclan starting to disperse, heading for the door, Selina in tow, leaving Batman and Talia alone.

"You sense the same thing as I, beloved. You see the signs that something is on the horizon, otherwise you wouldn't be issuing these orders. You'd be content to investigate alone or with your own team. Instead you're delegating responsibilities, giving assignments. You're preparing for war, aren't you?" Talia asked as Batman glanced towards her.

"It can't be a coincidence that there are calls for a sort of militia to form in order to combat the crime in Gotham in the wake of the arrest warrant for me being issued all in one night. Someone wants there to be war in the streets of Gotham but what their true purpose is, I don't know." Batman explained.

"Yet." Talia said as Batman looked towards her.

"I may need your help, Talia, in more than an intelligence or supportive role. I might need an extra person in the field, someone who knows how to handle themselves in a fight." Batman said as Talia smiled.

"My assistance has its price, Bruce." Talia said as Batman narrowed his gaze slightly.

"What are your terms?" he asked, Talia approaching him, pressing up against him.

"You already know my terms, beloved. I think that, given the circumstances, they're quite fair and reasonable." Talia said, suggestively raising her leg against his.

"I'll agree on two counter-conditions." Batman said as Talia arched an intrigued eyebrow, smiling nonetheless.

"And they are?" she asked.

"No killing. Incapacitate only, no kill shots. Someone looks like they're going to fall to their death, for instance, do all in your power to save them, even if they are one of the worst criminals in all the world. This includes the Joker." Batman explained.

"And the second?" she asked.

"Wear a disguise. We'll only strike at night but you will be going up close and personal with many known criminals. I don't want your identity being exposed." Batman said as Talia smiled.

"How caring of you. I believe your proposal is reasonable. It is a deal, beloved." She said before turning and walking deeper into the house, Batman turning and departing.

* * *

 **7:13 AM  
Wayne Manor – Batcave**

Batman sat at his computer, looking at a map of Gotham, his mask pulled back and a serious expression on his face. His thoughts were disturbed by the sound of the elevator to the upper level beginning to descend. He turned around just as the elevator reached the bottom floor, the door opening to reveal an unmasked Cassandra, Barbara Gordon, and Alfred. Alfred was carrying a pair of suitcases for Barbara.

"Hope you don't mind but I thought I'd pack a few things just in case." Barbara said as Bruce gave a nod.

"I expected you to. You're probably going to be here for a few days, depending on how long this situation lasts." Bruce said as he stood up, Barbara rolling up towards him, Cassandra at her side.

"So why have me come here in the first place? I mean I could just as easily run things from my tower." Barbara said as Bruce walked over towards a worktable and pulled out a large metal box on wheels.

"Barbara, during the day, I need you to be engaged in intense physical therapy. I need you to build your upper body strength as much as you can. Alfred will make sure you're not overexerting." Bruce instructed, confusing Barbara for a moment before realizing his reasoning.

"And both Wayne Manor and the Batcave have fully equipped and top of the line workout facilities. Okay I get why I'm here then." Barbara said as Bruce looked at Alfred.

"Officially you're here as my house sitter. Unofficially you're continuing our operations from here. That and I don't think Alfred wanted to spend the whole time stuck in the cave. Your being here will give him an excuse to come up for air." Bruce commented, earning a visibly relieved look from Alfred.

"Unnecessary but much obliged, sir." He said, Cassandra patting him on the back with a smile.

"What does the latest news say of the situation?" Bruce asked as Barbara sighed.

"Most of them are crucifying you, decrying you as a murderer. Jack Ryder, Vicki Vale, and Summer Gleeson are probably the only ones who aren't out for blood and are actually keeping the possibility of a frame up open. Ryder though is the most vocal supporter of the frame up theory." Barbara said as Bruce looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Keep an ear to Ryder's broadcasts. I want to know if he starts changing his tune. What is the police reaction to this?" Bruce asked.

"Now that's where it gets surprising. Remember 'Knight Fever?' Well it's back and in force." Barbara said, Bruce grimacing at the thought. Cassandra looked confused.

" _Night Fever?"_ she asked in ASL.

"Knight Fever, spelled with a K, was a phony disease the Cops came up with as a means of calling in sick, a sickout strike of sorts. It cropped up back when I first started gaining notoriety when I was first starting out as Batman." Bruce explained.

"But back then it was out of fear of the Batman. Now it's in support of the Batman. Nearly a third of the GCPD has called in sick. Even Detective Montoya has called in sick." Barbara explained.

"What about your father? What's his stance?" Bruce asked, a serious look in his face.

"I think he might be contemplating on handing in his badge." Barbara replied, similarly serious.

"Discourage him from doing that. He knows that I've had contact with you. Tell him that I said for him not to hand in his badge and to stay on the job, no matter what happens." Bruce ordered.

"Don't even have to ask. I was going to try and encourage him to stay with it anyway." Barbara said as Bruce nodded.

"Good. Cassandra, now that Oracle's moved in, we're going to join Dick and Tim on their stakeout. You still have your original batgirl costume?" Bruce asked as Cassandra smiled and gave a nod, hurrying to a large display wall that housed all of their current costumes although all of the cases were empty save for a few display mannequins. She pressed her hand against a palm scanner at the side, causing the display wall to open up, revealing a long corridor of display cases containing a number of old and disused costumes. These suits included the original Batman costume, along with several variations of it, all of the Robin costumes with the exception of Jason Todd's which was on display in the cave's museum area as a memorial. One of Nightwing's original costumes and Cassandra's original Batgirl costume which was nothing more than a simple black sweatshirt and pants with a batman logo stitched into the chest along with black gloves, cape, and a black balaclava mask with a pair of slightly limp bat ears stitched into it. Cassandra removed the costume with an air of nostalgia. Barbara was smiling at the old costumes but her smile gradually faded as she noticed there was one costume that was missing.

"Hey, wait, where's my old costume?" she asked but got no answer as Cassandra emerged from the costume locker. At the same time, Bruce was walking over to a table that had been nicknamed the "Disguise Station" by Tim and was where all of the makeup, wigs, hair coloring, eyeliner, etc. was stored for whenever a disguise was needed. There was also a large closet full of clothing for a variety of occasions. Cassandra quickly followed after him, the two getting into a disguise.

"So what's the news on the bag that Catwoman brought over?" Barbara asked.

"The jewelry matched the descriptions of the stolen jewelry from the heists. Whoever handled the bag was very careful not to leave any traces so it was a dead end. The note for the job offer was typed so we can't do a handwriting scan. However, the autopsy and police reports from the crime scene last night did reveal some useful data." Bruce said as he started applying some hair coloring, adding some silver to his hair as well as applying some stubble to his chin.

"Like what?" Barbara asked.

"The victim was killed by the batarang which wasn't up for debate. It was how he died that interested me. The wound that killed him was a stab wound to the carotid artery in the neck so either the murderer got lucky or he aimed for it." Batman explained.

"So a doctor perhaps?" Barbara asked.

"The theory of the murderer being a doctor might be the prevalent theory but the possibility that the murderer got lucky is still a possibility. Then there's the strange substance I found at the scene. It's some kind of an acidic compound. I haven't fully identified it yet." Bruce replied.

"Want me to keep on it?" Barbara asked.

"Please." Bruce replied.

"What about the batarang? You said the Joker was involved when it was lost." Barbara said as Bruce scowled slightly.

"The Joker's been underground ever since the mayoral elections back in early November. If this is his latest move, we'll soon find out. I've been using what information I have to try and locate his current hideout. We'll hunt for him tonight." Bruce said, removing his batman chest armor, looking at the bat insignia on it.

* * *

 **10:42 AM  
Solomon Wayne Courthouse**

The Solomon Wayne Courthouse once sat in the heart of Gotham, where one of the past patriarchs of the Wayne family presided. The Courthouse had long since been abandoned after a new courthouse had been built closer to the GCPD. It was one of the many old buildings in Gotham that had been designed by Cyrus Pinkney and as such had been declared a historical landmark, preserving it from destruction. Its preservation and restoration on the other hand was long overdue as the walls, inside and out, were covered with graffiti. But hanging from between the two center columns over the door was a banner that read "Batmen Recruiting Center." What surprised the undercover Tim Drake and Dick Grayson the most though, was the number of people going into the courthouse.

"I count nearly two hundred so far." Tim mumbled as they sat off to the side, watching from a distance.

"People really like the Batman. They recognize the good he's done for this city. They aren't going to let a trumped up murder charge undo the past sixteen years of hard work." Dick replied as they started for the door. As they approached they saw one of the men guarding the courthouse shooing away a teenaged boy in a homemade Robin costume. The guard wore a black utility vest with a metal bat shaped belt buckle on the upper left side of his chest. His uniform looked like he'd walked right out of a security guard's posting. He also had a bat shaped ski mask with the face exposed. He was carrying a TEC 9 SMG for security.

"Come on! I want to help! I'm old enough!" the boy said but the guard was adamant.

"Sorry kid, we don't take anyone seventeen or under. You have to be old enough to carry a firearm and eighteen's the limit." The guard said.

"But I-…" the kid argued.

"Beat it. We don't need grieving mothers and fathers on our backs. Go on." The guard said as Tim tried to get past him but the guard grabbed him by the arm.

"Same goes for you too pal. Unless you've got an ID that says your eighteen, you can just back off." The guard said, Tim backing away peacefully.

"Gave it a shot." He mumbled.

"Looks like they're not totally bloodthirsty." Dick commented back through the radio he had hidden in the lapel of his jacket, hidden behind a button depicting his Nightwing emblem. He got past the guard without incident. The courthouse was small so it only had one courtroom. The building had a lobby at the front, the courtroom in the center and occupying the majority of the structure while the Judge's chambers occupied the back area. The courthouse basement had the holding cells. The lobby area was an odd sight. Large cork boards had been mounted on the walls, covering up much of the vandalism. Large signs over the boards read "We Fight in Their Honor!" or "We Fight in Memoriam." The boards were covered with photographs and newspaper clippings, all of people whose lives had been changed for the worst because of Gotham's Criminals. Dick quietly slipped past into the courtroom where there were tables set up along one wall where other partially costumed individuals were sitting. Signs on the tables read "Enlist Here." But what stunned Dick the most was a large bat shaped effigy hanging from the back wall.

"Unsettling." Dick heard a voice say near him. He looked and saw an unfamiliar face standing next to him but the voice was familiar.

"Bruce?" he whispered.

"Cassandra's waiting outside. Guard wouldn't let her in." Bruce replied.

"So what do you make of this?" Dick asked.

"Lambs to the slaughter." He said as Dick noticed a pair of Batmen inspecting some firearms brought in by a couple of new recruits.

"Semi-well-armed lambs." Dick added. He then recognized one of the civilians as on the Batmen handed her back the pistol he'd been examining.

"Your weapon checks out. It's good to have one of you with us. We need experienced officers like you with us, Detective." The guard said as Detective Renee Montoya holstered her sidearm.

"Maybe, but I still have some doubts and if you have doubts, a lot of innocent people could get hurt." Montoya said as a man in a full cape and cowl approached.

"Innocent people get hurt every day in Gotham, Detective. That is why the Batmen are here to avenge them." The man said. Renee and the eavesdropping Bruce and Dick both recognized the voice as belonging to the man on the radio who had initially called for the formation of the Batmen.

"You, your voice. You're the guy from the radio." Renee commented.

"That's right. It's good to see you again detective." The man said as he removed the cowl, revealing a man in his late thirties with short brown hair and a face warn down from more than a few scars. Renee recognized him.

"Wait, I know you. Weren't you on the SWAT team?" she asked, the man showing some minor disgust.

"Unfortunately I was. I was under that crook Branden back when Loeb was Commissioner. I resigned when the corruption in the department became too much for me to stomach. Gordon wasn't the only honest cop back then. But I digress. Robert Lane, formerly of GCPD SWAT, founder and leader of the Batmen." The man introduced as Bruce subtly glanced away.

"Oracle. Robert Lane." He mumbled.

" _Thought that name sounded familiar. Ex-GCPD, former SWAT member. His story checks out. He left the GCPD almost a month before Loeb was assassinated by the Joker. He's been an outspoken supporter of you for years. He's worked as a security guard for several years. He had submitted an application to Arkham Asylum Security but was refused due to having been on Branden's SWAT team."_ Oracle explained.

"Well, he'd certainly have a grudge against the GCPD and the criminals of Gotham though." Dick replied. Meanwhile Montoya was having second thoughts.

"I'm all for seeing these creeps put away, and I am one hundred percent positive that the Batman's being framed, but I don't know if I'm fully comfortable taking the law into my own hands." Renee said as Lane gave an understanding nod.

"I completely understand. We've had some people come here and get cold feet. We don't need people who aren't willing to commit and frankly the cop in me is glad whenever someone turns away. We understand that this work will be dangerous and will effectively be breaking several laws but if that's what it takes to cleanse Gotham of the criminal mire it's been swimming in for decades, so be it." Lane explained.

"Good, so there's no hard feelings if I were to simply walk away?" Renee asked.

"None at all. In fact, in your case, I'd prefer it. Eventually this will end and the Batmen will disband. No sense in your career getting marred by this. We need cops like you still on the force. Serves as a reminder that not everyone in the GCPD is against the Batman." Lane said.

"Gordon's not either." Renee commented.

"I know that too. But this murder charge is clearly a frame up by one of Gotham's major criminals. And we aren't going to sit idly by while another Bat-Hunt begins." Lane said before walking away. Bruce and Dick quietly started for the door.

"Seen enough?" Dick asked.

"Quite enough. It's time we prepared for tonight." Bruce replied as they walked out the door.

* * *

 **End Chapter 3**

 **Please R &R…**


	4. Surprise Party

**11:21 PM  
Gotham Industrial District**

A trio of thugs stood around a fire pit made out of an old oil drum. They didn't have any distinguishable gang attire on them at the moment which was common for the thugs that were either off the clock or unemployed.

"So you heard about the Bat?" one of them asked.

"Yeah, heard the cops are after him." The second said.

"About freakin' time. Maybe he'll turn on the cops for once." The third added.

"By the way, you hear about what Joker's up to?" the second asked.

"No, what?" the first asked.

"Joker's lookin' for some new goons or somethin'." The second replied.

"What happened to the old ones?" The third asked.

"Still there. I hear he's lookin' to grow the gang." The second replied.

"Yeah? Where do I sign up?" the third replied. The second merely smiled.

"I'll tell ya but it'll cost ya fifty bucks apiece." The second said. The other two merely glared at each other.

"Or I just back away and let you try and shake down this guy." The first said, backing away. The second and third looked confused before both were tackled by Batman and Robin. The first smirked as he slipped into the shadows, reemerging seconds later as Nightwing, a masterfully crafted rubber mask in hand. Robin had knocked out the third goon while Batman had the second by the collar, pinning him near the open end of the fire pit.

"Where's the Joker! Talk!" Batman ordered, threatening to throw the goon into the fire. The goon crumbled instantly.

"Warehouse! He's at the warehouse where they store the old sets for that old kiddie show, you know the one with all the clowns?! Kosmo Krank's Circus?!" the thug cried before getting yanked away from the fire drum and then getting a knee to the face, knocking him out. Blackbat then emerged from the shadows to join them.

"I could probably have done it faster." Nightwing commented.

"Psh, yeah but you can't get them to wet their pants like he can." Robin said, motioning to the unconscious goon's pants and the distinct darker splotch near the top.

"Good point." Nightwing replied as Batman glared at them, silencing the brothers.

"The warehouse he's referring to is only three blocks away." Batman said, the Batclan grappling away, Batman taking the lead. Within a few minutes, the clan had touched down on the roof of a darkened warehouse. On the ground outside, there were only a couple of goons, both armed with assault rifles, patrolling the exterior doors.

"Is this the place?" Robin asked.

"We're about to find out." Batman said, approaching a skylight and opening it. Inside he could see what appeared to be the Joker, seated in a chair in the middle of the room, carving up an apple with a pocket knife. Batman scowled and used detective vision to look through the walls but all he could see were a bunch of clown themed facades all swept over to the sides of the warehouse. He gave the all clear and the clan immediately dropped down into the room, Batman landing directly in front of the Joker who let out a startled yelp, falling back in his chair. Batman grabbed him by the collar with one hand and reared back his fist with the other but froze. The Joker's face was a mere cardboard cutout that was strapped to his face.

"You're not the Joker! Where is he?!" Batman roared.

"You want the Joker, well the Joker want's you, Batsy!" a familiar voice called out from the darkness. Suddenly the lights of the warehouse came on, briefly blinding the four. When their vision cleared they saw a bunch of clown masked thugs surrounding them, roughly forty of them, all having emerged from behind the facades and all either unarmed or brandishing some form of melee weapon. The Batclan immediately dropped into a fighting stance but the thugs suddenly parted on one side, revealing the decaying façade of an old sitcom kitchen set. Standing in front of the façade however was the Clown Prince of Crime himself. The fake Joker scurried into the rest of the group of goons as the real Joker approached.

"I've been waiting for you, Bats. And here I thought you'd never show up. It was a bit short notice but I think this is still a good surprise party!" Joker said, pulling out a brightly colored party hat, putting it on while the other thugs did the same, putting on party hats.

"What is happening?" Robin asked as he and the rest of the batclan maintained their fighting stances.

"Now, Boy Wonder, you haven't been listening to Uncle Joker! I just said it was a surprise party! Sheesh! Okay boys, a one and a two!" Joker called, raising his arms like a musical director, the thugs immediately starting to sing out of tune…

" _For he's a jolly dark fellow! For he's a jolly dark fellow! For he's a jolly dark fel~lo!"_

"You've finally lost your mind!" The Joker finished before belting out laughing, a large banner dropping down over the kitchen set, the banner reading "Welcome to Insanity!" Batman merely scowled at the Joker's antics. The gang of thugs were applauding and cheering the Batman although it was clear that this was semi-forced cheering.

"Enough, Joker!" Batman threatened.

"Sheesh, I thought you enjoyed a good party! I mean we even made you a cake which is-…where's the cake?! Harley! Willy! Where's the cake?!" Joker yelled into the warehouse.

"Almost there Mista' J!" Harley could be heard replying as she and Wild Card rolled a three-layer cake into the room on a cart. The cake was clearly a stolen wedding cake just looking at the frosting and decorations but on the top was a candle shaped like a number one and written down on the cake's layers was "Happy First Murder!" in red frosting.

"See? The cake is no lie! We didn't even lace it with hemlock or Smile-X! Willy, a slice for the guest of honor!" Joker called, Wild Card grinning and reaching under the table, pulling out a chainsaw, revving it up. Joker however face palmed.

"No-no-NO! I meant a slice of the cake! Not the other thing! Save that for the party games!" Joker called, Wild Card shrugging and casually tossing the chainsaw away, the machine still running, causing several goons to scurry out of the way. Joker then turned towards Batman, producing more party hats.

"Good kid, just slow on the uptake. Oh, here! I got these just for you and the kids!" Joker said, moving to put one on Batman but the Dark Knight suddenly grabbed him by the collar.

"Enough with the jokes! Why'd you kill that man?!" Batman asked, earning a chuckle from the Joker.

"Oh Bats, you're not still on that whole election thing are you?" Joker asked but Batman scowled.

"The Batarang used in the murder last night, it was lost during an encounter with you! You're trying to frame me somehow!" Batman threatened. The Joker's grin merely widened.

"Wow you must really be slipping if you think I had something to do with that one!" Joker giggled.

"I'm not joking, Joker. What game are you playing?!" Batman asked but Joker's grin seemed to slowly vanish.

"You mean…you mean you didn't kill the guy? You mean you haven't snapped and gone looney-birds?!" Joker asked, shaking loose from Batman with a look as if he were heartbroken.

"Mista J? You alright puddin'?" Harley asked as she hurried to Joker's side.

"Fine?! Do I look fine?! The whole party's ruined! Batman's still sane!" Joker yelled, angrily, ripping off his party hat and stomping it under foot.

"Then you're denying it was you?" Batman asked as Joker's fury quickly faded away, being replaced by a dark giggling.

"So you really think that I'm involved in some elaborate frame up, is that it, Batsy? Oh come on, Bats! In all the times we've gone head-to-pointy-eared-head, I've always looked forward to the possibility of seeing you really snap! To actually drop your pants and slide on the ice! To finally give in and snap this old clown's neck! Besides, I'd never kill anyone in such a garish fashion. There's no panache! No flare! No punchline! Seriously, would I kill someone and not leave some clue behind that didn't scream JOKER WUZ HERE?! Tell me!" Joker yelled with a grin. Batman merely scowled for a moment.

"No…you wouldn't." Batman replied, reluctantly. Joker immediately threw his hands up into the air triumphantly.

"Thank you! But at least I've got a little bit of a consolation prize! It just means we're back to the way things were! I mean you're still sane so that means I've still got something to look forward to! I'm a bit relieved actually. Here I thought you had gone and went stark-raving-bonkers without me being there to see it! I was actually hoping you'd pants the Commissioner or even plant a kiss on Harley and then laugh when she slugs you! Well okay, I'd laugh." Joker chuckled.

"You wouldn't be the only one, Uncle Joker." Wild Card sniggered, Harley scowling at her.

"Someone clearly wants to clean the hyena cages again." Harley mumbled.

"Oh but there's one other consolation prize! I get to go out and slaughter all those wannabe Bat-freaks that are just chomping at the bit to clear your name!" Joker said with a grin. Batman took a step forward.

"They've done nothing to you. Leave them alone." Batman said but the Joker merely shot him a dark grin.

"Oh Batsy-Batsy-Batsy. You know full well I can't very easily ignore something like this! A whole army of Batmen, all gathering for one purpose! I can't have a whole army of you running around! At least, not without an army of Jokers to go with it." Joker said, motioning to his gang with a dark laugh, the rest of the goons chuckling and voicing their agreement as they started cracking their knuckles menacingly or brandishing their weapons. Harley and Wild Card then joined the Joker with their unique weapons, tossing Joker his crowbar, still stained with the blood of the Second Robin.

"So then boys, whoever knocks out the bat gets a special prize! Let the games begin!" Joker declared, letting out a cackle as the Joker's goons started rushing the Batclan. The clan immediately went into action, proceeding to start laying into the nearly forty goons with frightening skill. Harley and Wild Card were about to rush into the fight but Joker blocked them.

"Kids! Let's leave the Bats to play with the boys! We've got recruitin' to do!" Joker said as he motioned for them to follow, his moll and pseudo-adoptive niece slipping out towards the back of the warehouse. The Batclan was getting mobbed. It was ten to one odds but the Batclan had quickly whittled that down to six to one in a matter of minutes. Finally, they were stood back to back in a cluster, the goons having took a step back to regroup.

"Masks." Batman said, the clan quickly pulling gas masks from their utility belts just as Batman threw down a fist full of black pellets which released a noxious gas into the air. The goons started wheezing on the gas, staggering around and allowing the unhindered Batclan to lay into them once again, the gas causing the goons to get dizzy and get blurry vision. Those that didn't fall over on their own encountered the receiving end of the Batman's fist, Blackbat's boot, one of Nightwing's escrima sticks, or Robin's bo-staff. The entire fight was over in about four minutes of intense hand to hand combat, leaving forty moaning and groaning men mewling on the floor and four weary vigilantes.

"I think I got roughly twelve." Robin commented, earning a chuckle form Nightwing.

"Thirteen, Gimli." Nightwing replied.

"Hitting two goons at once with the sticks only counts as one." Robin chuckled.

"Enough!" Batman ordered, the two falling silent. Blackbat just shook her head at the two with a roll of her eyes.

"So what's the plan now?" Nightwing asked.

"The Joker's gotten away for now. We'll need to regroup. Everyone back to Wonder Tower. We'll need to plan out our next move." Batman said as they turned and started to leave the warehouse.

* * *

 **December 4th  
12:02 AM  
Gotham Skyline**

The Batclan had taken different routes towards Wonder Tower. Batman and Nightwing were in the Batmobile, Blackbat was in the Batwing overhead, and Robin was on the R-Cycle, all converging on Wonder Tower. As he raced along, using backroads and the R-Cycle's stealth mode to avoid detection by the police, his radio came on.

" _Robin, what's your status?"_ Oracle asked.

"Just passing through Amusement Mile. Why what's up?" Robin asked.

" _I just intercepted a dispatch on the Police Scanner. There's been an attempted robbery at 1992 Dixon Lyle Boulevard."_ Oracle reported, Robin instantly recognizing the address.

"That's Stephanie Brown's foster parents' house. Is she alright?" Robin asked.

" _Unknown. Police apprehended the intruder at the scene. According to a witness, he 'fell' and 'hit his head' on the stairs."_ Oracle reported, Robin smirking under his R-Cycle Helmet.

"Sounds like Spoiler. Thanks for the alert, Oracle. I'm going to investigate. Cover for me will you?" Robin asked.

" _Sure thing. Hope Steph's alright."_ Oracle said as Robin veered a hard right.

"You and me both." Robin mumbled as the R-Cycle raced through the streets.

* * *

 **12:13 AM  
1992 Dixon Lane Blvd.  
The Home of Chuck and Lily Rayford**

Stephanie Brown, alias Spoiler, was stood on the front porch of her foster parents' home, giving a statement to the GCPD Officers who'd arrived to arrest the would-be robber. The robber had to be taken away in an ambulance after having suffered a concussion and several injuries which also included a dislocated shoulder.

"And you're saying that he just fell down the stairs?" the officer asked, not fully believing her story.

"That's exactly what happened officer. I mean I wasn't there to see it but I heard the noise. Came out of my room, saw him sprawled on the ground, assumed he'd fell." Stephanie replied with a straight face. In her mind she was smirking. She had totally beaten the stuffing out of the thief using what vigilante skills she had picked up from Alvin Draper, the alias used by Robin. The Officer flipped his notebook closed with a somewhat unconvinced look.

"Alright. I guess we have all we need from you. Don't leave town." The officer said, confusing Stephanie.

"Why would I?" she asked.

"What, a cop can't enjoy cliché cop phrases?" the Officer asked as Stephanie rolled her eyes with a smile, the officer moving on to interview her foster parents. Her phone then started beeping. She pulled her phone from her pocket and saw she had a simple text message which read: "Side yard" and was from "R-AD" which was an acronym for "Robin - Alvin Draper." She quietly looked at the officer before pocketing her phone, heading inside the house, making her way to the back door and then out into the back yard before walking around to the side yard but saw no one there. She didn't have to guess where Robin was and turned to see him standing behind her.

"Oracle heard the report. You okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine. Got out without a scratch. Guy didn't even see what hit him." Stephanie replied.

"Good. I was worried." Robin replied as Stephanie smiled at him, hands on her hips.

"So now I know what it takes to get you to come over for a visit." She commented.

"Yeah well things are a little…crazy right now." Robin replied, Stephanie giving an understanding nod.

"I've heard. I tried signing up with those Batmen to lend a hand but they turned me away. Some bull about being too young." Stephanie grumbled.

"Well for what it's worth, I'm glad they did. Batman doesn't like the notion of these Batmen. He'd prefer people leave the criminals to us and the police." Robin said as Stephanie looked at him with concern on her face.

"Yeah well when the police think you're one of those criminals, it's not exactly what I'd call fair." Stephanie said.

"We're working on that. We know it's a frame up. Just gotta figure out the who and the why. We thought it was Joker but he denies it." Robin replied, Stephanie looking surprised at the revelation.

"Really? A murder the Joker didn't commit? I find that hard to believe." She said as Robin gave a shrug.

"Evidence fits. Joker's innocent in this case but we caught wind that he's building his own army to counter the Batmen. You see why I'm relieved the Batmen turned you away now." Robin said as Stephanie smiled warmly at him.

"Yeah. Thanks for checking up on me though. I really appre-." "You there, GCPD! Freeze!" a voice yelled, Robin and Stephanie turning to see the cop from earlier with his gun drawn.

"Uh-oh." Robin muttered, the officer holding his gun on the Boy Wonder.

"I said freeze! Hands in the air where I can see them!" he said, Robin shrugging and doing just that but with something clutched in his right hand, tossing it towards the officer, the object being a smoke pellet, causing the Officer to stagger back, wheezing from the smoke cloud. Stephanie was covering her mouth too when she suddenly felt Robin grab her from behind.

"Hold on." He whispered into her ear, grappling into a second story window, which happened to be Stephanie's room.

"Huh. Not as girly as I was expecting." Robin commented as Stephanie lifted up the top mattress on her bed, revealing her Spoiler costume laid out underneath.

"Draw off the 5-0! I'll change!" Stephanie said, Robin smiling before diving out the window, tackling the officer to the ground and then vaulting off.

"Sorry Officer, nothing personal." Robin said, the Officer climbing to his feet, drawing his pistol again but Robin popped open his bullet shield just as the Officer took a couple of shots, the bullets impacting harmlessly against the shield. The Officer put a hand to his radio.

"All units! I've got a sighting on Robin! Repeat, I'm engaging the-GAK!" the officer yelped as Robin leapt forward, kicking the feet out from under him before hitting him in the throat.

"I'll pay for the hospital visit, don't worry. Like I said, nothing personal. Still pro-police B-T-Dubs." Robin said before knocking the officer out with a punch to the head. He then looked up at the window.

"Coast is clear!" he called up as Stephanie Brown, now wearing the black face mask and purple hood of Spoiler appeared at the window. She proceeded to leap out the window, landing on her feet.

"Come on! My bike is this way!" Robin said as he and Spoiler ran to the hidden R-Cycle, Robin hopping on, Spoiler on the back.

"Hey wait a minute. Won't your foster parents get suspicious?" Robin asked as he revved the R-Cycle.

"Remember that note you left the last time we went crusading together, you know while the big guy was out of town?" Spoiler asked.

"You mean the one that said I'd borrowed you for your own protection and that your old man was back in town?" he asked.

"I might have made a few printouts and left one on the bed. I run off all the time. They won't suspect a thing." Spoiler replied as Robin chuckled, the R-Cycle rolling off down the street but their escape didn't go unnoticed by a pair of approaching GCPD Squad Cars who immediately hit the lights upon seeing Robin.

"Oh crap!" Robin yelped, revving the bike to high speed.

"Hold on Steph!" he said as they tore into the streets of Gotham, the police in hot pursuit.

"Oracle! I've got a situation here!" Robin said into his helmet radio.

" _I know."_ A very different voice answered back, causing Robin to blink in mild alarm. He then heard a familiar engine roar behind him and checked the mirror in time to see the Batmobile power slide around a corner behind them, moving in between the R-Cycle and the squad cars. Batman pressed a button on the dash, activating an AR display to appear on the windshield, showing the rearview. A pair of targeting reticles appeared on the squad cars, turning blue upon locking on. He then tapped a button on the dash a couple of times, firing two sticky blue globs from a small cannon on the back, the globs sticking to the hoods of the cruisers before suddenly letting out a crackle of electricity, effectively hitting the cruisers with a short range EMP, disabling them.

"So how big a trouble are we in right now?" Spoiler asked as Robin glanced over in time to see the Batmobile pulling up alongside. He saw Batman's stern gaze fixed on him while Nightwing sat smirking coyly in the front passenger seat.

"Pretty whoppin' big." He replied, Spoiler letting out a whimper as they drove away towards Wonder Tower, the Police having been left eating dust.

* * *

 **End Chapter 4**

As with many of the existing DC Universe characters, I like to reference a specific look for whenever they appear in my stories. The Joker and Harley Quinn both use their Arkhamverse looks. Joker uses his Arkham Asylum look though and Harley uses Arkham City. Her Arkham Knight look works too. Stephanie Brown/Spoiler uses the attire drawn up by the Deviant Artist Phil-Cho.

Wild Card is my sole original character to the Batman universe (or at least the only one with any longevity) and is inspired partly by the Margot Robbie Harley Quinn but wears an outfit reminiscent of the LEGO Suicide Squad Harley Quinn minifigure. I.E. predominantly vivid red and blue colors over red and black. (I recommend using Brickipedia, the LEGO wiki, for the reference since there are some counterfeit custom minifigs of the Suicide Squad Harley out there). Wild Card's backstory is featured in my first Batman Fanfiction story: Slender.


	5. Spoilers

**12:29 AM  
Wonder Tower – Observation Deck**

Batman hadn't said a word since he and Nightwing had helped Robin and the newly involved Spoiler escape the GCPD. The look on his face however was one of clear displeasure. Nightwing and Blackbat both stood off to the side while Robin and Spoiler stood before him.

"Batman if you're going to say something, please say it. I brought Steph along since the GCPD could've assumed we were associates. It was to keep her out of trouble." Robin said as Batman took a breath but didn't say anything.

"Batman…" Nightwing said finally, gaining the Dark Knight's attention, "…We could use the extra hand. The four of us, Catwoman, and…her, alone can't take on two armies plus the GCPD."

Batman didn't reply, quietly stepping forward towards Robin and Spoiler.

"We will discuss this later in more detail, Robin." He said as Robin gave an understanding nod, clearly fearful of his fate. Batman then looked at Spoiler.

"If you are going to be of any assistance to us, I have to know that we can trust you. I have reservations about your abilities in a fight. If you're going to join us, you're going to need training." Batman said as Spoiler pulled back her hood and pulled down her mask, looking him in the eyes.

"You can count on me, Batman." Spoiler said as Batman turned away.

"You will be coming into close contact with individuals who lead very private lives. Individuals whose identity and very existence is to remain hidden. You would be forever forbidden from revealing their identities. Doing so could put their lives and the lives of those they care about in the gravest of dangers. More importantly, some of these individuals can be exceedingly dangerous and might not even hesitate to kill you. Your alias itself does not inspire confidence. You can't have a 'spoiler alert' and reveal classified information. This would be the ultimate test of your discretion. Do I make myself clear?" Batman asked, turning back towards her with the most serious of expressions.

"Yes sir." She replied, although it was clear that he made her nervous.

"Nightwing." He said, the former Robin approaching.

"I'm assigning you to be her teacher. Don't go easy on her. The criminals of Gotham certainly won't. Robin, Blackbat, we're needed elsewhere." Batman said as he headed for one of the balconies, Blackbat following after him. Robin started after him, giving Spoiler a helpless shrug as he passed. Nightwing began cracking his neck muscles.

"Okay Spoiler, rule one of a vigilante street fight: there are no rules." Nightwing said, earning a blank stare from Spoiler as she pulled her mask and hood back on.

"Isn't that kinda cliché?" she asked as Nightwing pulled his escrima sticks, putting them together into a bo-staff.

"Yes but it's no less true. Remember, the criminals of Gotham are not going to hold back. They'll kill you given the chance. Don't give them that chance." Nightwing said but again earned a blank stare from Spoiler.

"Now you're paraphrasing the Incredibles." She replied.

"They might be clichés but they're extremely relevant in this line of work. Now come at me." Nightwing said, standing ready as Spoiler nodded and came charging towards him.

…

Down below, Batman, Robin, and Blackbat entered Talia's home, entering the library where Talia was just entering the room. The top of her suit was zipped up and she had added some leather armor padding, a black leather hood and mask (both pulled down at the time), and had appeared to be a pair of sheathed Sai blades resting on a custom utility belt not unlike Batman's own.

"I have just received my answer from my father. He denies any and all involvement in this matter." Talia said as Batman looked at her.

"Do you believe him?" he asked.

"I do. He stated that although he does not see your methods as effective enough, he does recognize that yours and his goals align. He has no reason to destroy the image of the Batman and no desire to. Those are his exact words. He also expressed his expectation that you be cleared of the charges and is willing to offer League assistance if requested." Talia explained.

"That won't be necessary. Tell him to keep his assassins out of Gotham or I will come for him." Batman said as Talia gave a nod.

"As you wish, beloved. I understand we've added another person to our number. The daughter of one of your defeated enemies. The one known as 'Spoiler.' Most intriguing choice." Talia said as Robin stepped forward.

"It wasn't his idea, believe me." Robin said, Talia giving him a sweet smile before looking at Batman.

"And yet, she remains. You could've insisted she be sent away for her own safety, but the fact she has not been, and that your eldest son has been tasked with training her further in the art of…what do you call it, crime fighting? This says that you're worried, beloved. Worried that we are outnumbered perhaps?" Talia asked.

"Innocent lives are in danger with these Batmen around, Talia. We need them to disband. My team and I can't take on the Batmen, the Jokers, and the GCPD alone. That's why I asked for you and Selina's help. Spoiler is inexperienced but she has potential." Batman replied.

"Speaking of Selina, where is Catwoman?" Robin asked.

"Right here." Selina said as she entered, unmasked.

"Where've you been?" Robin asked.

"Doing some digging. Trying to find a lead on who hired me to steal that batarang. I find the lead, we find the guy responsible for the jewelry store robberies and likely the guy who arranged to have Batman framed for murder." Selina replied.

"Have you found anything?" Batman asked.

"Afraid not. There's a lot of buzz in the underworld about this right now but no word on more stolen jewelry or anyone bragging about the frame up. Joker's apparently up to something though." Selina replied, plopping down in a red leather wingback chair.

"We know what he's up to. He's building an army to counter the Batmen." Robin replied as Selina blinked.

"That's going to be a problem, isn't it?" Selina asked.

"Not if we can help it. I think it's time I spoke with Robert Lane, the leader of the Batmen, see if I can't convince him to disband their group." Batman said as he turned towards Robin.

"Robin, let's go. Blackbat, you remain here and assist Nightwing with training Spoiler. Selina, can you get back into the GCPD Headquarters?" Batman asked, Selina arching a curious eyebrow as Blackbat headed for the door.

"Honey, you forget who you're talking to." Selina purred as Batman reached into his utility belt, pulling out a small device.

"This is a media transmitter. The GCPD will have interrogated the deceased robber's other two associates by now. They record all of their interviews. Find the person who did the interrogation and use this on their recording device. It'll download the device's contents and transmit it to the Batcave computer for analysis." Batman said, handing the device to Selina who smiled at the device.

"You always give me the nicest things." She said, pocketing the device and pulling on her cat mask as she exited. Batman then turned towards Talia.

"I need to ask you for another favor, Talia. I need you to check and make sure there aren't any professional assassins in Gotham, assassins not affiliated with the League of Assassins such as Deadshot, Deathstroke, Copperhead, and the like." Batman said as Talia smiled.

"You ask me like it would be an inconvenience for me beloved. If it helps to clear your name, then it is a pleasure." Talia said before slinking off into the house. Robin let out an impressed whistle.

"Damn. Just…damn." He muttered, earning a thwarting glare from Batman.

"Batmobile, now." He ordered, Robin suddenly remembering that he was in deep weeds with the Dark Knight.

* * *

 **12:57 AM  
Gotham Streets**

The Batmobile was running silently through the streets of Gotham, managing to evade the sight of the GCPD. There was an uncomfortable silence between the dynamic duo, Batman sitting very seriously in the driver's seat. Finally, Robin had to speak.

"If you're going to punish me for getting Spoiler involved, then do so. Don't just sit there." Robin said. Almost instantly Batman turned the batmobile into a dark alleyway, parking it in the shadows. Batman sat staring straight ahead for a moment before answering.

"Involving Stephanie Brown was a risky move, Tim. I don't fully trust her yet. She has potential but she's still inexperienced and her father's criminal ties are too difficult to ignore. Having her working alongside us puts not only her identity at risk but ours as well. I'm also concerned with her inevitable first meeting with Talia. She's the daughter of one of the most dangerous men in the world and her, one of the most dangerous women. She may have turned away and distanced herself from her father's organization but she is at trained killer. Not even I know what her reaction would be should Stephanie learn about who she is." Batman said as Robin glanced out the windshield at the deserted alley around them.

"Jason Todd tried to steal your tires once." Robin said softly.

"Jason never tried to kill hundreds of people like Cluemaster did." Batman replied.

"No but he was still a criminal, the kind of criminal that you wouldn't have wasted a second punch to the head on. And yet he became the Second Robin." Tim argued, removing his mask and glaring at Batman to show he was talking to him as Tim Drake, not Robin.

"I read Jason's file, cover to cover, when I came on board. Your notes said, your notes, said that had you not helped him, he would become a criminal. Stephanie's different. There is no archetype for us. Dick, Jason, Cassandra, and I, we all have backgrounds exactly like yours. We all lost our parents to crime but there are notable exceptions. Barbara being one of them. It was just bad luck that she also happened to be the Commissioner's kid which auto targeted her by the criminals of Gotham. But in every single example, we chose this lifestyle. We're just like you, Bruce. Stephanie's no different. Her dad just happens to be one of the guys you've helped put away." Tim said as Batman listened. Tim quietly put his mask back on, sitting back of the seat.

"Tim…you haven't said anything I haven't already considered." Batman said as Tim sighed.

"Of course I haven't. Because you're freakin' you." Tim grumbled before realizing something.

"Wait, how'd I turn this around? A moment ago, I was the one in trouble." Tim said as Batman exhaled loudly.

"You never were. There's just a lot going on." Batman replied, putting the Batmobile into reverse and backing out of the alleyway.

"Huh, well whaddya know. Even Batman can get a little on edge." Tim chuckled, earning a light smirk from the Dark Knight.

"Don't spread it around." He said as the Batmobile rocketed off down the Gotham Streets.

* * *

 **1:24 AM  
Solomon Wayne Courthouse – Judge's Chamber**

Robert Lane sat in the judge's chamber of the old courthouse, wearing an updated uniform of near complete riot gear only with his Bat-shaped mask on head and a Bat shaped logo on his chest. Three other bat masked individuals stood in front of him behind the desk. The chambers had been converted into a makeshift war room where the Batmen were planning their first strike against one of Gotham's criminal influences.

"So it's agreed then? We strike tomorrow night." Lane said as the other batmen gave a nod.

"Yes sir. I'll notify Robin Division at the Monarch. We'll do some preliminary scouting." One of the Batmen said, wearing a red work shirt with a yellow letter R stitched into the shirt over the left breast.

"Nightwing Division will begin taking inventory of our armaments. Most of our volunteers have brought their own weapons and we're currently making sure the equipment is ready." A woman in bat costume said. She had a black Kevlar vest with a blue Nightwing logo across the front.

"And Batgirl Division will make sure the teams are ready for the attack. We've got several GCPD officers out with the Knight Fever in our ranks. They'll make sure the people are properly trained." The third bat added.

"Good. Oh one other thing. Did that shipment of burner phones come in?" Lane asked.

"On the table there, sir." The Nightwing Leader replied, motioning to a cardboard box full of prepaid cellphones, all freshly purchased or donated.

"Thank you. I'll distribute them as needed in the morning. Dismissed." Lane said, the three Batmen quietly turning and leaving their leader alone in the chambers. Lane quietly walked over to the box of phones, picking one up at random out of the box. He had just started dialing a number when the lights in the chambers suddenly went out. Lane froze, turning off the phone and tossing it back in the box as he looked around cautiously. He reached for his sidearm, taking the safety off.

"Robert Lane." A voice said from the shadows. Lane paused mid-step.

"Is it you, Batman?" Lane asked, looking around before picking up a road flare, setting it off and illuminating the room in the bright red glow of the flare. Standing before him was Batman, glaring at him.

"It is you. I wondered how long it would take before you showed up." Lane said.

"The people you've gathered are in danger. You need to order them to disband." Batman ordered.

"Why? You endanger yourself on a daily basis to protect this city. You've asked nothing in return. Let us help you." Lane said but Batman took a step closer.

"This isn't about me. This is about innocent people getting hurt, Lane. You were a cop. You should be standing in their defense." Batman said as Lane stepped away, carrying the flare with him as he walked.

"Being a cop is precisely why I am intent on leading these people. In the force, I was bound by a mountain of rules and rivers of red tape that only served to keep me from doing everything in my power to help people. The badge carries little weight anymore, not the right kind of weight. Instead of symbolizing protection, it symbolizes ineptitude. The badge weighs down the good cop. You, your symbol, has supplanted the badge. The Batman, you represent hope, peace, two words this city didn't have before you came along. The city was practically run by the criminals. Mobsters who ruled this city through fear. Then you show up, and over the course of fifteen years, you changed all of that. Now I know families who were once afraid to walk out their door at night, happily taking their families to the movies and seeing reruns of Basil Carlo films. You did that Batman. I've met many people who tell me that whenever they see the Bat-Signal, they feel hopeful. They feel safe. Because of you." Lane explained as Batman listened.

"I don't care. I won't have you endangering innocent lives. Order the Batmen to disband, or have you forgotten the oath that you forsook when you left the force?" Batman asked as Lane sighed, looking away from the Batman.

"Alright, fine, you've made your point. I'll order them to disband in the morning. I'll schedule a press conference." Lane said but when he looked back, Batman was gone. He raised the flare but saw nothing. The lights then flickered back on, revealing that it was only him in the room.

"How the-…-hell?" Lane muttered as one of the Batmen entered the room.

"Sorry about the power issue sir. Old building. Blew a fuse. We found some spares and I'll have someone run to the hardware store and pick up some more when they open." The bat reported, Lane still looking stunned by the Batman's visit.

"Sir? Are you alright?" the bat asked.

"Hmm? Oh yes. Everything's fine. Oh, have Burton arrange a press conference for tomorrow morning will you? I have an announcement to make to Gotham." Lane said, not realizing that a small, black, bat-shaped listening device planted beneath the desk had overheard everything.

* * *

 **9:05 AM  
Wayne Manor – Batcave**

The Batclan sat huddled around the main computer in their everyday clothes, watching with looks of anger and frustration as Robert Lane gave a press conference. What had them angry however was that his message was the complete opposite of what he had told the Batman during the night.

" _The people of Gotham deserve a hero! The people of Gotham have a hero! A hero that has waged a one to four-man war on crime in our fair city for nigh on sixteen years! But someone out there, some criminal, has taken it upon themselves to try and tarnish the image of the hero we have in the hopes that the GCPD will remove him for the very people who oppose him! I stand before you, Gotham, to implore you, to stand up for your hero! Continue what he started! Join the Batmen and fight for your city! Fight for the fathers whose legs have been broken by Falcone enforcers! Fight for the daughters who have been abducted and sold into sex slavery by the Great White Shark! Fight for the entire families that have been turned into grinning corpses by the Joker! We only accept applicants eighteen and older. So you will not see child soldiers! We will not stoop to such a level that we forget our humanity! We are men! But we! Are! BATMEN!"_

At this, Bruce closed the feed.

"Oh he is so going to get some broken bones." Barbara commented.

"Anyone care to wager how many he's going to break?" Dick asked, wryly.

"At least ten. That's how many I'm gonna break." Tim added.

"So Bruce, Lane won't back down, Joker's building an army, and the heat is still on from the GCPD. What's our next move?" Dick asked as Bruce stood up, turning to face them.

"Barbara, continue your physical therapy. Don't ask why, just do it. Nightwing, Blackbat, continue training Stephanie Brown. Robin, I want you to drop an anonymous tip to Commissioner Gordon. Let him know about the Joker's army and that he may need to mobilize on a moment's notice. After that, I want you and Selina to do some digging for me. The Batmen are getting their guns from somewhere and I want to know who their supplier is. Talia's already working on an assignment for me so until then, we're dismissed. We'll meet together again at Wonder Tower at eight-thirty tonight." Bruce said as the team disbanded without a word, only Dick lingering behind.

"Okay, riddle me this, Bruce. I get all of your orders except one. Barbara. Why all the physical therapy? She physically cannot walk which kinda is a prerequisite for being Batgirl." Dick said, curious yet confused.

"You need to let me be concerned with that, Dick. If things go the way they're going, we're going to need every field advantage we can get and that includes having Barbara out there as Batgirl." Bruce explained as Dick stood up straight, a grim expression on his face.

"So in answer to my question, Bruce? What our next move is?" Dick asked as Bruce looked at him.

"Yes, Dick, we are." Bruce said, the Dark Knight and original Boy Wonder looking each other straight in the eyes before adding…

"We're preparing for war." Bruce said as Dick quietly turned away. Alfred then came on over the intercoms.

" _I'm terribly sorry to bother you, sir, but you have a visitor at the front door."_ Alfred said.

"I'm not here, Alfred. I'm in the Himalayas on vacation." Bruce replied.

" _I believe you may want to consider making an appearance for this one, sir."_ Alfred said, earning a curious look from Bruce.

"Alright. I'm on my way." Bruce replied, heading for the elevator. He was in average clothes so he wasn't concerned about appearing in his batman attire. Bruce rode up the elevator into one of the secret entrances to Wayne Manor. As he approached the front door, he saw who was waiting in the entrance hall for him and slowed to a stop, a smile forming on his face.

"Hello Bruce. Surprised to see me?" Zatanna Zatara asked with a coy smirk as, with a wave of her hand, her top hat appeared out of thin air, which she promptly put on her head and then tipped it towards Bruce.

The Mistress of Magic had arrived in Gotham.

* * *

 **End Chapter 5**


	6. Knight Strike

**9:12 AM  
Wayne Manor – Batcave**

Bruce had swiftly escorted Zatanna into the batcave to help support the illusion that he wasn't in Gotham. Zatanna wasn't dressed in her usual magician's outfit with fishnet stockings but actually a more casual purple T-Shirt, jean jacket, blue jeans with a top hat shaped belt buckle, and red trainers. It was Zatanna's inaugural visit to the Batcave and she was taking a minute to take it all in.

"Well I have to say this is a lot brighter than I imagined it would be. And so much space! You could fit Wayne Manor in here at least twice over." Zatanna commented as Bruce led her towards the main computer.

"I imagine you're here for more than just a friendly visit." Bruce said as he sat down, Zatanna sitting down across from him.

"Am I that obvious? The news of the Batman Murder Case made national headlines. I had just finished a show in Las Vegas when I heard the news and so I jumped on the quickest flight back to Gotham. Told my manager it was because there'd been a break-in at my apartment. There wasn't really but, well, you know." she asked, Bruce smiling slightly.

"It's a frame up, Zatanna. Someone arranged for it to look like I'd murdered someone." Bruce said as Zatanna sat back in her chair.

"I thought as much but it does make me feel better to hear you say that. If there's anything I can do, just let me know." She said as Bruce sat forward slightly.

"You've done Justice League work before, haven't you?" he asked.

"I'm officially the JL's magic consultant. Dr. Fate is their full time magician. They've offered me a more permanent posting before but I kinda like my current arrangement. Let's me keep the stage magician tradition alive, and besides, I do enjoy showbiz." Zatanna said as Bruce rubbed his chin with a ponderous gaze. Zatanna looked at him curiously at this.

"What are you thinking, Bruce?" she asked.

"Zatanna, I'll spell it out simply. With my being framed, the GCPD are after the Batman. But at the same time, there's a pseudo-militia group organizing here in Gotham called the Batmen. Their goal is to cleanse Gotham of some of the big criminal groups that influence Gotham. To make matters worse, the Joker is building his own army to counter them. I mean to stop both the Batmen and the Jokers, and clear my name all at once. I'm convinced that someone arranged the frame up to lead to the creation of the Batmen, but why and for what purpose is unknown." Bruce explained.

"And where do I factor in?" Zatanna asked.

"For all intents and purposes, I'm building an army of my own. So far I have my basic team plus Selina Kyle, Talia Al Ghul, and Robin's girlfriend Spoiler. We need all the help we can get. Would you be able to assist us on the field?" Bruce asked as Zatanna smirked coyly.

"I've done my fair share of combat magic. Usually it's up against magical beings or rogue magic users but against people…should prove interesting. You can count on me Bruce." Zatanna said as Bruce smiled.

"I have only one request. The majority of the world knows you as a stage magician. They don't know that you use actual magic. I'd like to try and preserve your identity so I ask that you wear a mask or a disguise when in the field." Bruce said as Zatanna gave an understanding nod.

"You don't have to ask me twice Bruce." Zatanna said as she flicked her hand in front of her face, causing a white face mask shaped like the front of Doctor Fate's helmet to appear over her face. The mask also covered her ears so none of her facial skin showed.

"Good enough?" she asked, the mask distorting her voice slightly.

"Perfect. We may also need a code name for you. Robin's girlfriend isn't cleared to know our identities yet. So don't use our real names or unmask in the field." Bruce said as Zatanna gave another nod, rising from her seat.

"You got it, Bruce. Call me, Magician. That'll cover the bases." Zatanna said as she got up from her chair.

"We're using Talia's home under Wonder Tower as our base of operations. We'll meet there tonight at 8:30. If you need a lift-…" Bruce offered as Zatanna smiled warmly at him.

"I think I can find my way there on my own, but I'll keep that in mind." Zatanna said before giving a wave of her hand…

" _!emoh tropeleT"_ Zatanna said before suddenly vanishing in a burst of pink smoke. Bruce immediately rose from his chair, heading towards the equipment lockers and opening up a drawer. Inside the drawer were several spare batwave earpieces. The earpieces were designed to fit securely in the wearer's ear and stay there even in the most intense of struggles. Bruce quietly started removing four of them before pausing and removing a fifth, looking at the ear piece in silence for a moment. His thoughts were disturbed when his computer started beeping. He turned and saw a flashing red alert reading "Call Intercepted!" and gave the longitude and latitude of the Solomon Wayne Courthouse. He quickly moved back to his computer, opening a program which started to play the audio of an active phone call, the phone numbers listed both linked to prepaid cell phones, one of which was a confirmed Batmen phone.

" _-all this trouble and he's not even here!"_ a voice railed. It wasn't Lane's voice at all.

" _I've done my part. Batman paid me a visit last night. Ordered me to disband the Batmen. He's taking the bait."_ A second voice said but this one wasn't Lane either. Batman recognized this voice however and his eyes narrowed.

" _Did you take care of him?"_ the first asked.

" _Timing wasn't good. Wasn't ready for him yet. But I will be, don't worry. Besides, rumor has it the Joker's building up an army to face us! If that's the case, the GCPD and the Batman will be too busy and will likely get himself killed in the process."_ The second replied.

" _The Joker? Oh this is turning out better than I had hoped."_ The first said, sounding quite pleased with the news.

" _What about your setback?"_ the second asked.

" _Leave that to me but you'll need to create a diversion to draw away the Batman. Attack one of his enemies head on. Someone like, oh I dunno…uh, Penguin! Yeah, Penguin will do!"_ the first instructed.

" _Alright. Tonight we'll hit Cobblepot at the Iceberg Lounge. We'll hit him at around…let's go midnight. By then the last of his guests will have left for the night."_ The second replied.

" _How would you know that?"_ the first asked.

" _Been there plenty of times. Been Penguin's guest of honor on more than one occasion, legit and otherwise. Besides we need to make it look like we're not attacking innocents."_ The second replied.

" _Good, then it's settled. We'll both strike at midnight tonight."_ The first said before both hung up. Bruce was scowling, turning immediately to his computer scans of the acidic compound he'd found at the crime scene. He quickly compared it to a sample he had on file from a previous case and it came up a match. This in mind, Bruce could now positively identify one of the culprits behind the frame up, but he also knew there was a second scheme in the works, that framing the Batman was only part of a bigger scheme but what it was, eluded him.

* * *

 **8:26 PM  
Wonder Tower Observation Deck**

Spoiler collapsed to the floor, exhausted and aching all over, while Nightwing stood nearby, only slightly winded. Blackbat stood fully masked nearby, Catwoman watching from the edge of the deck.

"May not feel like it, but you did good. Lasted a full thirty-two minutes that time." Nightwing complimented as Spoiler groaned, forcing herself onto her feet.

"You're right, it doesn't feel like it." She moaned.

"Go easy on the kid, Gra-err-Nightwing. She's still new." Catwoman commented.

"Not that new." Spoiler mumbled, collapsing with her back against one of the supports holding up the roof.

"Batman said to train her. So I train her." Nightwing replied.

"Wish it were Robin training me." Spoiler mumbled, her head drooped slightly.

"Got news for ya, kid. Robin is training you. I was the original Boy Wonder." Nightwing commented proudly, earning a probing glare from Spoiler.

"Sorry, I just can't see it." She commented, Nightwing scowling. His scowl deepened when he heard a snort of breathy laughter coming Blackbat.

"Sounds like someone wants their autographed photograph of David Caruso tossed in an incinerator." Nightwing threatened, earning an alarmed glare from Blackbat.

"Wasn't he the star of CSI Miami? The one with the sunglasses?" Catwoman asked.

"She's a big fan. First thing she did when she discovered Batman set up a Netflix account for her was binge watch the entire series." Nightwing said as Blackbat shrugged.

" _I'm a fan. Sue me."_ Blackbat commented via ASL. At the same time Batman, Robin, and a masked Talia arrived on the platform via grappler.

"So is this everyone?" Nightwing asked.

"Not quite. We're waiting on one more. The Magician." Batman replied.

"Magician?" Nightwing asked, confused for a moment before a text message sent straight to his mask's head's-up display read "Z. Zatara."

"Oh~h." he muttered. About that time there was a puff of pink smoke, revealing a masked Zatanna Zatara in her usual stage magician garb complete with top hat and magician's cane.

"Sorry I'm late. Nightwing, good to see you again." Zatanna commented, earning a flirty smirk from Nightwing.

"Likewise, 'Magician.' How was Vegas?" Nightwing asked.

"Highly overrated." Zatanna mumbled.

"Crapped out at the tables huh?" Catwoman asked with a smirk.

"I can perform card tricks, sure, but Texas Hold 'Em? Forget it." Zatanna replied, before Batman cleared his throat forcefully, silencing everyone and gaining their attention.

"Since we last met, there's been a significant break in the case. I can now state with some certainty that there is a bigger plot beyond a simple frame up. The frame up and the formation of the Batmen are directly connected. The murder was committed by one of two individuals working together. One is implanted within the Batmen to keep them active in the war on crime. The other is unknown. The purpose of the Batmen appears to be to keep me occupied and distracted by throwing innocent lives into harm's way, knowing that I will intervene. I believe the suspect within the Batmen is also tasked with eventually killing me somehow." Batman explained.

"Okay that last part, I think we could all see coming." Robin commented.

"Cliché plot to kill the Batman, next!" Nightwing added.

"There's more. I can positively identify the suspect within the Batmen, but we'll have to wait for the right moment to expose him. Exposing him too soon will force his accomplice to ground and then we'll never catch him." Batman explained.

"Okay so we intervene until we know that we can snag both the suspect and his accomplice in one night. Any ideas what the accomplice is up to?" Nightwing asked.

"Not yet. I intercepted a phone call between the two earlier this morning. I know my death is part of their plan, but from what I could gather from what I was able to intercept of their call, is that they're looking for someone in particular. Someone in Gotham that appears to be in hiding. Tonight, the Batmen are planning to move against the Penguin at the Iceberg Lounge. Their attack there will be meant to serve as a distraction to keep us occupied while the accomplice is able to work freely. I'm not sure what that is yet, so until we do, we focus on the Batmen." Batman explained, reaching behind him and pulling the four communications devices he'd retrieved from the Batcave earlier.

"These are Batwave communicators. Catwoman, Demoness, Magician, and Spoiler, you will each get one. It will keep you in contact with Oracle who is providing our remote support from the Batcave. It will also allow us to remain in communication with each other." Batman said as he handed the earpieces out.

"So do we get to keep these when this is over?" Spoiler asked, putting her earpiece on.

" _No, you don't."_ Oracle replied. This earned an almost collective groan of disappointment from Spoiler, Catwoman, and Zatanna.

"Alright so what's our first move?" Robin asked.

"When I intercepted the call, I overheard the masterminds planning the Batmen's first move tonight. They're going to attack the Iceberg Lounge in an attempt to eliminate the Penguin. They're planning to attack at midnight." Batman explained.

"Which gives us about three hours to prepare." Nightwing said but Batman glared at him.

"No, we're going to beat the Batmen there. We're going to force Penguin to leave." Batman said, surprising the others.

"Wait, what?" Robin asked, confused.

"Despite his obvious criminal ties, Penguin is innocent in this. If the Penguin dies tonight at the hands of the Batmen, then it will only legitimize their actions in the eyes of Gotham's citizens. Their numbers will grow and we won't be able to stop them. The GCPD will be overwhelmed and it would cause chaos across the city. It'll be worse when the Joker unleashes his own army. Gotham will be destroyed by the urban warfare and countless innocents will die because of it." Batman explained.

"Alright, so how do we convince Penguin to leave?" Nightwing asked. Batman looked at him before answering…

"We tell him to."

* * *

 **9:56 PM  
Iceberg Lounge**

Oswald C. Cobblepot, alias the Penguin, sat in his private office overlooking the main floor of the Iceberg Lounge. The glass bottle that was once lodged in his eye and served as his "monocle" had been partially removed. There were still glass bits in his head but the bottle itself was gone. As a result his vision in his left eye had degraded and so he was forced to use a legit prescription monocle in its place. He sat smoking a cigar, watching the last of his guests enjoying their meals. Two of his bouncers, armed with silenced SMGs tucked under their black suits, stood guard by the door. One of his waitresses then entered, almost sprinting into the room, a fearful look on his face, whispering something in his ear.

"Wha'? 'ho'd you say was 'ere?" Penguin asked surprised. Almost instantly Blackbat burst through the door, immediately grabbing one of the guards and slamming him up against the wall, following up with a blow to the head. The other guard attempted to intercept but Nightwing flew in through the other door, batting the gun from his hand before firing and smacking the guard in the throat before belting him across the face with his escrima sticks. Penguin reached for one of his umbrellas but as he raised it up, he found Batman just inches in front of him, grabbing the umbrella and bending it into a V shape before grabbing Penguin by the wrist, twisting it and causing Penguin to let out a screech of pain, dropping to his knees.

"Damn it! Wha' do you want now, Batman?!" Penguin winced, Batman grabbing him by the collar and shoving him up against the glass window overlooking the restaurant floor.

"You need to leave Gotham for a while!" Batman ordered, earning a glare from Penguin.

"You wha'?! You serious?! You must be daft!" Penguin squawked before Batman slammed him against the glass again, the glass not budging as it was bullet proof but still providing enough solid surface to leave Penguin in considerable pain on impact.

"The Batmen are coming for you tonight! Get out of Gotham or they will kill you!" Batman threatened, Penguin scowling in response.

"Bah! Your li'l fan club don't scare me! My boys and I 'll gut them, stuff them, and mount 'em on the wall! You know I've got the firepower to do the job!" Penguin squawked before Batman slammed him even harder against the glass, this time causing it to crack.

"You're not going to touch them, Penguin, because you won't be here." Batman warned but Penguin was still calling what he thought was a bluff.

"Make me." Penguin coughed. Batman proceeded to throw him towards the door, causing Penguin to tumble across the ground before sliding to a stop just inches from the door and in front of five pairs of boots. Penguin looked up to see Demoness, Magician, Catwoman, Spoiler, and Robin.

"You might want to consider migrating south for the winter, Penguin." Robin suggested with a coy smirk. Penguin merely started sweating in response, especially as Demoness knelt down with one of her Sai blades drawn, pointed at the tip of his beak-like nose.

"My beloved will not kill you, Penguin. I on the other hand, do not have such reservations." Demoness warned softly, Penguin sweating even more.

* * *

 **11:58 PM  
Iceberg Lounge**

The streets of Gotham were surprisingly quiet outside the Iceberg Lounge. That silence ended as five black vans with grey, yellow, or red Batman insignias came rolling up, skidding to a stop, the vans opening and allowing roughly forty bat masked people, armed with crowbars, tire irons, baseball bats, and a few pistols and SMGs to climb out, rushing the steps of the Iceberg Lounge. Ten Batmen remained outside with the vans while the other thirty charged into the lounge. Among the ten still outside was Robert Lane, carrying a radio.

"Alright people let's get in, kill Cobblepot, get out!" Lane ordered. Inside the lounge, the Batmen rushed for Penguin's office, overturning tables and chairs as they ran. Most of the Batmen were in the center of the lounge hall when the lights suddenly went out, leaving the light from the doors as the only light in the room.

"What the-?!" one of the Batmen asked.

"Flashlights!" another of them ordered, the Batmen turning on flashlights, looking around in fear.

" _!srood eht kcoL"_ a woman's voice yelled, the doors suddenly slamming shut, the locks clicking behind them. One of the Batmen grabbed their radio.

"Sir! Something's happening! We-AHHHHH!" the Bat screamed as he was suddenly yanked up into the air by an unseen force, the armed Batmen raising their weapons. One of them turned with their flashlight to see a smirking Catwoman.

"Hello boys." She said coyly before highkicking the Bat's gun from his hand, coiling her whip around his neck and pulling him into the shadows.

"We're under attack sir!" one of the Bats exclaimed into the radio.

" _By who?!"_ Lane asked back over the radio but the radio carrying Bat had gotten abducted into the rafters as well. Another Bat then felt something sting him in the neck. He put his hand to his neck and felt something, pulling out a black dart with black and red feathers. He suddenly collapsed in a dead faint, knocked out by the poison in his blood but not fatally so. At this, four figures dropped down into the midst of the Batmen, proceeding to lay into them with a vicious beat down. Nightwing, Robin, Blackbat, and Demoness were fighting them in the shadows, the erratic swaying lights of the Bats' flashlights along with the occasional muzzle flash of a stray firing, were the only lights in the room. Spoiler, Magician, and Catwoman soon joined them in the melee while outside, Lane watched in apparent disbelief as he saw the flashing and swaying of lights coming from inside while hearing the sounds of an all-out war going on inside. He finally turned to the other Batmen.

"Don't just stand there! Get in there!" he yelled. The remaining 9 batmen rushing the steps but stopped when they heard the sound of glass breaking overhead and saw one of the Batmen come screaming out of an upstairs window, falling towards the ground but suddenly stopping his descent, swinging down towards the entrance, dangling by his ankles on the end of a long black cable. The Batmen raised their flashlights up towards the second floor and saw the Dark Knight himself, staring down at them with a dark glare.

"It's…It's Batman!" one of the Batmen stammered, stunned to see that the Dark Knight not only stood before them but that he was fighting against them. He dropped down and landed in front of them, the Batmen backing away in surprise and fear. He cast his steely gaze over each of them before suddenly grabbing one and whipping him into one of the other batmen, leaping in and proceeding to unleash a beatdown on the nine batmen to Lane's stunned amazement. Batman had just reared back his fist to punch another one of the Batmen when he paused, the sound of police sirens approaching fast. Lane and the remaining Batmen heard the sirens as well.

"Bail out!" Lane ordered into his radio, leaping into one of the vans, the remaining Batmen limping to the van, only four making it back while Batman quietly watched. He watched the van peel away with a cold glare, the van escaping just as a dozen police cars, accompanied by at least three SWAT Vans, lights and sirens going, came rolling up to the Iceberg Lounge. Commissioner Gordon was among the cars, a reluctant look on his face and a bullhorn in hand. Batman didn't move as every cop on the scene trained their guns on him. Gordon quietly motioned to hold fire to his men, cautiously approaching the Dark Knight.

"Batman." He greeted.

"Penguin's alive. We convinced him to leave hours ago." Batman said as Gordon gave a slight nod.

"So they didn't kill him?" Gordon asked.

"They tried. We wouldn't let them." Batman replied as Gordon took an apprehensive breath.

"You know what I have to do Batman. The evidence just isn't in your favor and the DA is demanding your mask on his desk." Gordon said, Batman looking the crowd of police over. There were news vans arriving on the scene, cameras already rolling.

"I can prove it's a frame up." Batman said, Gordon looking intrigued.

"I'm glad to hear that. Where's your proof?" Gordon said, genuinely relieved to hear Batman's answer.

"I don't have it yet. The timing isn't right. There's more to this than what we perceive Jim. This is something much larger than a mere frame up. The Batmen themselves are part of the plot, although I doubt that they realize it." Batman explained.

"So what's the plan then?" Gordon asked.

"I can identify one of the perpetrators but I can't ID the other yet. I need time to set a trap for the second. For now though…" Batman said, opening his cape, the officers immediately taking aim again.

"…Magician?" Batman said, glancing back into the darkened lounge.

" _!goF fo duolC"_ Magician's voice echoed as a thick grey fog started spewing out from inside the lounge, quickly blanketing the area outside the lounge, the fog so thick that no one could see anything short of the flashing red and blue lights of the squad cars. Gordon looked around as he heard footsteps moving past him, heading towards the cops. The Batman and his team were skillfully maneuvering their way through the crowd, each of them using their cowl or mask's detective mode, Cat-vision, magic senses, or being led by the hand through the fog. As the fog lifted, the Batman was gone and the lights had come back on inside the lounge. Gordon looked around in amazement at yet another masterful disappearing act by the Batman and his cohorts.

* * *

 **End Chapter 6**

Like in the comics and her few television appearances, Zatanna's magic spells are basically words and sentences written in reverse. So when translating her spells, remember the last word of the spell is read first and the first word is read last. It's why the punctuation is backwards too.

Example: Zatanna's first spell at the beginning of the chapter "!emoh tropeleT" translates as "Teleport home!"


	7. Creepy Developments

**December 5th  
12:25 AM  
Gotham Streets**

Batman and Blackbat were riding back towards Wonder Tower in the Batmobile. With most of the GCPD left in the dust at the Iceberg Lounge, the rest of the team was able to get away safely via their own means. Blackbat had her main mask pulled back, her pointed domino mask still on her face. They were currently listening to the latest news on Gotham City Radio.

" _In a daring midnight melee, the Batmen made their first strike against Gotham's criminal underworld, targeting club owner and entrepreneur Oswald C. Cobblepot, known to some as the Penguin, by launching an attack against Mr. Cobblepot's club, the Iceberg Lounge. What they found however was, to say the least, very surprising and shocking. Police reports say that thirty six Batmen were involved in the attack but estimate their real numbers were around forty. Thirty-six Batmen were found injured and unconscious or otherwise incapacitated inside the club and sources would indicate that it was Batman and a team of masked vigilantes that took down the Batmen. All thirty-six Batmen have been taken into Police custody on charges of breaking and entering and trespassing. Mr. Cobblepot is believed to have fled the scene before the attack and recently made a statement announcing his intent to press charges against the Batmen for damages to his club. Is this a sign of Batman attempting to save innocent lives or is this yet another sign of guilt?"_ One of the various news sources reported, Batman turning the volume down.

"Oracle, what's the media's opinion of the situation?" Batman asked.

" _Pretty much more of the same. Ryder's still defending you though. He seems to be defending your actions while condemning the Batmen."_ Oracle remarked as Batman seemed thoughtful for a moment before turning the Batmobile off course for Wonder Tower.

"Oracle, access the cave inventory and look for item number JRC-1968. Have a package delivered to the coordinates I'm entering now." Batman said, punching in the coordinates on the batmobile computer.

" _Checking inventory. JRC-1968? It's a set of adhesive patches. What are they for?"_ Oracle asked.

"Would you believe, a bribe?" Batman asked as the Batmobile approached the Gotham City Radio building.

* * *

 **12:29 AM  
Gotham City Radio – The Jack Ryder Show**

"Ladies and gentlemen, I give you a classic frame up scenario! Who would benefit the most from having the Batman hunted by the police? Hmm? Criminals! Penguin, Two-Face, Joker, Poison Ivy, the list goes on! Any of them could have arranged the frame up. Some non-descript and nameless thug gets knifed by the Batman? Come on! How dense do you have to be to believe that! Do I think the cops responsible? If Loeb was still commissioner, then I'd quietly say 'hell yes' and then run like hell to avoid the bullet spray from the corrupt police force he ran! Gordon though? Nah, I don't think Gordon would pull a stunt like this. Too honest, too clean. I mean he has a giant bat shaped nightlight on the roof of the GCPD HQ for crying out loud! Anyway, let's go to the phones, I see the bats are getting shaken out of their belfry. Hello you're on the air with the Rough Ryder! What's your beef?" Jack asked, answering a phone call being patched into his radio booth.

" _What kind of problem have you got with the Batmen, Ryder? I mean they're standing up for the Batman, standing up for Gotham! Who are you to say they can't do what the Batman can, huh?!"_ the caller asked.

"Okay, let me get this clear. The Batmen's goals are noble. I won't argue that at all. But here's my problem with them. They're civilian militia! Nothing more than a street gang in bat costumes! And don't try to twist this into a 'oh he's knocking our second amendment rights' kind of thing! I don't care that they have guns but let me ask you this! When was the last time the Batman used a gun? Hmm? His grapple gun thing doesn't count. He doesn't kill! That's my point! These Batmen were only just thwarted from killing Penguin and his goons this evening! They were out for blood! I mean my sources are saying that the Batman himself stopped them! When the Batman himself, stands in opposition to his fan club's actions, that's gotta be a sign that makes you stop and go 'hmm, maybe we're not in the right here.' That answer your question?" Ryder asked.

" _So the Batman can stand up for Gotham but we can't? Is that it? What's the difference between him and us?!"_ the caller asked.

"Well for starters, he's not wearing hockey pads. Anyway folks we're out of time for tonight this has been Jack, 'the Rough' Ryder on Gotham City Radio, channel 968 on the dial, we'll be back tomorrow night with more on the insanity that is the Second Great Witch-hunt of Gotham City, hashtag Batman's innocent!" Jack said before the on air light went off in his booth. Jack smugly tossed his headset onto the desk, standing up and pulling on his coat.

"So, anyone for Chinese?" Jack asked his producer on the other side of the glass.

" _Not tonight Ryder. Meeting the missus for dinner."_ The producer replied.

"So oven-ready pizza and a six pack of lite beer?" Ryder asked coyly, his producer rolling his eyes.

" _Whoa there, friendly fire, Ryder."_ The Producer saying with a laugh as he finished working on the controls. Jack was chuckling when he felt his phone vibrate. He looked at it and saw a restricted number had sent him a picture message. He opened it and saw a picture of the GCR Broadcast tower on the roof and a message beneath it that read "Meet me here. Now." Ryder was puzzled for a moment before he noticed something in the background behind the tower: The Batsignal, lighting up the Gotham sky.

…

Ryder had wasted no time hurrying to the roof of the building. Stepping out onto the snow covered roof near the tower, looking around curiously. He approached the tower before hearing the ruffle of fabrics in the biting December winds behind him. He turned and saw Batman standing near the door back into the stairwell.

"I take it you're not here for an exclusive." Jack asked as Batman approached him.

"I need your help, Ryder." Batman said as Ryder looked at him curiously.

"My help? Ah the Power of the Press! I see, well ask and you shall receive? So what is it? Expose on the Joker? Got some dirt on Two-Face that needs airing? I-…" Jack said but was silenced as Batman produced a box of thirty adhesive patches. The sight of the box made Jack swallow nervously.

"Ah…you don't really need me as much as you need…him." Jack said as Batman handed him the box and walked towards the edge of the roof, looking out over Gotham.

"There's a war brewing in Gotham, Ryder. A war I intend to end before it starts. But I can't do it alone." Batman said as Jack shifted uncomfortably.

"I get that but, why our yellow skinned wacky friend?" Jack asked.

"Because Creeper has the physical strength and survivability to withstand extreme punishment. Despite the psychosis you go into whenever the Creeper is loose, you still know right from wrong. You might've scared the staff and customers from the store but you made a legal transaction. Despite pursuing the Joker with an almost ravenous hunger after what he'd done to you, you spared him. You only sought to annoy him." Batman said as Jack allowed a smirk and a chuckle to escape him.

"Yeah. That was pretty great, knowing that there's someone the Joker actually gets weirded out about. It's funny. Dunno what Creeper sees in Harley though. Hot babe but just a few too cracked eggs in the brainpan." Jack said, earning a silencing gaze from Batman.

"You have the right to refuse, of course, but you would also be missing out on the story of your career. An exclusive inside look at how I operate. I know you retain your memories of your time as the Creeper. This could help you become a national news agent." Batman said as Jack shifted on his feet a little, quietly debating it in his mind for a moment.

"Like you'd let me publish that kind of information." Jack commented.

"I'll make you a wager. I win, you publish what I let you. I lose, you'll get an on air exclusive with me." Batman said as Jack's eyebrows arched.

"I'll consider your wager on the condition that I not let the Creeper out until he's needed." Jack said as Batman gave a nod.

"That was already part of the deal." He replied, Jack shrugging in response.

"Okay then, so what're we betting on?" he asked. Batman simply looked slightly to Ryder's left. Ryder looked and saw the masked Blackbat standing next to him, facing towards the Batman.

"GAH! Holy crap! Don't do that to me!" Jack commented.

"This is Blackbat. She's on my team. She's been assigned to be your escort. The challenge is, if you can make her speak, you win the bet." Batman said as Jack chuckled.

"Oh that interview is as good as mine." Jack grinned. He couldn't see it through her mask but Blackbat was smiling coyly at the challenge.

"Alright. Put this on and we'll go." Batman said, handing Ryder a strip of black cloth. It was a blindfold. Ryder chuckled with a roll of his eyes.

"Alright Blackbat? Can I call you BB? Jack Ryder, the Rough Ryder. Quick question, how old are you?" Jack asked but Blackbat didn't react, simply walking away towards the roof to stand next to Batman.

"Oh this is going to be fun." Jack commented with a grin as he put on his blindfold.

* * *

 **1:12 AM  
Wonder Tower**

"Okay, did I really need a blindfold just to be taken to Wonder Tower?" Jack asked as he earned silent glares from the rest of the team.

"Did we really need a press agent?" Catwoman asked.

"Could be much worse." Nightwing added.

"Quiet. Demoness, did you ever get a response to my question regarding if there were any assassins in Gotham?" Batman asked.

"Yes. The answer to your question is no." Talia replied, keeping her answers short and nebulous while eyeing Jack suspiciously.

"And I thought I was the risky recruit." Spoiler whispered to Robin.

"Catwoman? Any new leads on your end?" Batman asked.

"The Batmen's weapons are mostly brought in by the individual members. I hear some of the gun stores are giving the Batmen weapons under the table as a show of support. Can't confirm it but maybe they'll stop after tonight." Catwoman answered. Ryder was writing everything down on a notepad.

"Alright. Our actions tonight may have put the Batmen off and discouraged many of them from continuing their support. I've put Commissioner Gordon on alert though, he knows that the Joker is building an army. I want us to launch a preemptive strike against the Joker if possible. We need to know where he's hiding and disarm him as much as possible." Batman said as Jack raised a hand.

"Ah so Joker's building an army! Now I see why you needed me." Jack commented.

"Yeah you'll annoy him to death." Spoiler mumbled.

"Trust me, Spoiler, at the end of the day, we'll want him on our side." Robin replied as Jack shrugged.

"Fan of my show are we?" Jack asked before a shuriken impacted the post next to him, hitting only an inch from his neck.

"Another word and I will cut out your tongue." Talia warned.

"Allow me. _!delaes era spil siH_ " Magician said, Jack's mouth instantly vanishing, leaving only a space of smooth skin where his mouth should've been, causing him to let out muffled cries of panic.

"Oh calm down she'll put it back later." Catwoman commented.

"So what's the plan of action, Batman?" Nightwing asked.

"We look for the Joker's army. Specifically, I want to eliminate his arms cache. The fewer weapons in his possession, the fewer casualties when he brings his army to bear." Batman explained.

"Assuming he doesn't disband his army after the Batmen do the same." Robin said, earning silent glares from everyone, even Ryder.

"Oh. Right. What was I thinking?" Robin mumbled.

"We'll need to locate his arms cache first. Catwoman, I'm putting you in charge of this heist." Batman said as Catwoman smiled.

"That's assuming we find it but I'll enjoy the hunt anyway." Catwoman said.

"Magician, Robin, Spoiler, you'll be assisting her with the actual heist. Nightwing, Blackbat, Demoness, and I will be dealing with any of Joker's goons on the scene. Creeper won't be joining us." Batman said as Jack let out a sniff. It was difficult to tell whether he was resentful for being left out or relieved.

"Alright. We'll begin scouring the city. Let's-." _"Batman, incoming call for you."_ Oracle interrupted. Her voice was distorted since Jack could potentially recognize her voice.

"Now's not a good time, Oracle." Batman reported.

" _Should I ask the caller to have you call him back?"_ Oracle asked.

"Yes. I'll call him from the Batmobile." Batman said, giving a nod to the team. The team picked up the message and started for the edge of the building, Blackbat grabbing onto Jack's arm, leading him away, his mouth suddenly reappearing. Batman leapt off the side of Wonder Tower, gliding down to the Batmobile below. Soon he'd landed and had just climbed inside the batmobile, the batmobile revving up and starting to roll silently down the streets of Gotham.

"Oracle, is this line secure?" Batman asked.

" _Affirmative. I've switched the two of us over to Batwave 2. Everyone else is on three. Bruce, the caller was Lucius Fox."_ Oracle reported. Batman seemed surprised.

"Lucius? He only calls at this hour when its urgent. Thank you Barbara. I'll call him back from the car." Batman replied.

" _I've already got the call dialed up and ready to go."_ Oracle said. Batman then hit the green call button on the dash, waiting patiently as the phone rang twice before Lucius answered.

" _Mr. Wayne?"_ Lucius asked.

"Mr. Fox. Rather late for a social call." Batman asked as Bruce Wayne.

" _Social calls, yes. But unfortunately Mr. Wayne, this isn't a social call. I just got an alert that one of our R &D Labs on the outskirts of town had a break-in a little over an hour ago. The lab itself was trashed and our projects there heavily damaged. From the sounds of it, one or two of our guards was killed in the process. I've alerted the authorities already but you might want to consider coming back to Gotham as soon as possible." _Lucius said as Batman scowled.

"I'll be back in Gotham before noon. Thank you Lucius." Bruce replied.

" _I'll meet you there, Mr. Wayne. Sorry to bring you back so soon from your 'holiday' in the 'Himalayas.'"_ Lucius said before ending the call. Batman immediately veered the Batmobile towards the edge of town.

"Batman to team, there's been a change of plan. Ryder, you're tagging in with the heist team. Robin, you're taking my place on defense. Ryder, do not, repeat, do not release the Creeper unless absolutely necessary." Batman ordered.

" _What's going on, Batman? What's happened?"_ Nightwing asked.

"I have a fresh lead. I need to investigate. I'll radio if anything comes up. Batman out." Batman replied as the Batmobile raced down the streets.

* * *

 **1:42 AM  
Batcave**

Batman sat unmasked at the Batcave computer, watching video surveillance recordings of the Wayne Enterprises R&D Lab. Structurally the lab was fine but the footage showed a figure clad in a brown coat, black pants, armed with an AK-47, and with a black balaclava mask, rampaging through the lab, using the machinery in the lab to smash and destroy expensive pieces of experimental technology. Barbara sat behind him in her power chair.

"Who is this guy?" Barbara asked, watching with sadness as two security guards came running into the lab, guns drawn but both were mowed down instantly by the masked man.

"I'm not sure yet." Bruce replied.

"Look at him go, though. He's not taking anything. He's just destroying. Sabotage?" Barbara asked. Bruce quietly pulled up a file which detailed the research projects going on in the lab that had been attacked.

"The work being performed in this lab was focused on the development of a new jet engine in conjunction with Lockheed Martin. It's supposed to be more fuel efficient. None of the work was top secret and Lockheed came to us." Bruce replied.

"So corporate sabotage wouldn't be a motive?" Barbara asked.

"Unlikely. Aside from the more fuel efficient engine design, there's nothing being worked on that would've gone into anything Batman related. Several of the major airlines and aircraft manufacturers are eager to get this tech. They'd have more motive to see it to completion than sabotage." Batman answered.

"Then what was the motive?" Barbara asked as Bruce furrowed his brow.

"I'm not sure. Murdering the two guards wasn't it. Maybe I'll find something more when I visit the scene around noon." Bruce said, getting up from his chair. He started to head towards the elevator when he paused.

"Barbara, I want you to remain down here when you do your therapy tomorrow. Keep the manor entrances to the cave on lockdown unless I give you the word via Batwave." Bruce said, confusing Barbara.

"What? Why? What's going on?" she asked, turning her chair around to face him.

"I can't say yet. It's only a hunch for now. And I hope it's only that." Batman said as he headed for the lockers, leaving a confused Barbara to sit and watch him leave.

* * *

 **6:45 AM  
GCPD HQ – The Office of Commissioner J. Gordon**

Commissioner Gordon sat behind his desk, looking over some reports from the various departments on their latest findings with the Batman Case. As he looked the documents over, there was an urgent knock at the door.

"Come in." He said, looking up to see Detective Harvey Bullock stick his head in the door.

"Commish, you gotta see this! Outside in the main parkin' lot!" Bullock said, Gordon quickly getting up from his chair and following after the detective, walking across to the other side of the building where several GCPD officers were looking out the windows, murmuring amongst themselves in surprise. Gordon reached the window and looked out to see a large collection of various arms and ammunition all arranged in the pattern of a large Bat insignia in the middle of the parking lot. One of the officers then came hurrying up to him, holding an envelope in his hand.

"Sir, this was on the top of the heap and is addressed to you. I think it's from the Batman!" the officer reported, Gordon taking the envelope and opening it, pulling out a letter which read…

" _Confiscated from the Joker. Have SWAT and riot teams on alert. Expect another attack from the Batmen tonight. Be prepared. – A Friend."_

Gordon read the letter and folded it up, pocketing it.

"Alright, everyone I suggest you rest up for tonight. Alert all able bodied officers that they're on duty tonight! No exceptions and if they cite the Knight Fever tell 'em they either show up or hand in their badge! I want everyone ready for tonight!" Gordon ordered into the bullpen.

"Everyone?" Bullock asked, surprised.

"Batman's given us a tip off. I'm not sure what he has up his sleeve but I'll bet something big is about to go down!" Gordon said as he headed back for his office.

"What about the Wayne Enterprises break-in?" Bullock asked.

"Got a message from Mr. Fox. Bruce Wayne's cutting his vacation short and coming back. He'll be here around noon and I've gotta go meet him then. Get a statement from him." Gordon mumbled as he entered his office, sitting down in his chair. No sooner had he done so than he heard a knock at the door. He looked and saw Detective Montoya standing in the doorway.

"Commissioner? Renee Montoya, reporting for duty sir." She said as Gordon stared at her for a moment before glancing at Bullock.

"Bullock, beat it." Gordon said, Harvey looking at his partner and shrugging helplessly before stepping out of the office. Renee swallowed hard for a moment.

"Montoya, you know that calling in with the Knight Fever is gonna get you some flak from the IAB, especially with these Batmen active. I've got a couple of officers who reported seeing you going into one of their recruiting centers. You know how this looks for you, right?" Gordon asked.

"I do sir and I'm ready to accept the consequences. I would like to state, for the record, that I did not join the Batmen. I investigated the possibility, yes, but in the end, I decided against it. Didn't feel right taking the law into my own hands." Renee said as Gordon gave her a confused look.

"What are you talking about, Montoya? I thought you were undercover on my order." Gordon said, surprising Montoya for a moment before a small smile of relief crossed her face.

"Yes sir. That's right." She replied as Gordon got up from his chair.

"Anything you can tell us about the Batmen, Montoya?" Gordon asked.

"Nothing that you don't already know sir, except that they're led by Robert Lane, one of our former SWAT Team members." Renee reported, Gordon immediately arching an eyebrow.

"Lane, huh? That's interesting." Gordon commented, confusing Montoya.

"Sir?" she asked.

"I need to make a quick call to the State Police, Montoya. Take Harvey and head over to Wayne Enterprises. One of their R&D Labs got trashed last night and two of the guards were killed. I'll be over at around noon. Mr. Wayne himself will be there." Gordon said as Renee allowed a small smile to appear on her face. Like several of the women in Gotham, she too had a level of attraction towards Gotham's Favorite Son.

"Yes sir." She replied before turning and leaving Gordon to dial the phone.

* * *

 **End Chapter 7**


	8. Watchful Eyes

**11:57 AM  
Wayne Enterprises – R&D Facility**

Bruce Wayne looked out the window of his limo as it rolled through the gates of the R&D Facility on the edge of Gotham. GCPD squad cars and the CSI teams were still on site as Bruce's Limo arrived. Lucius was already there and was speaking with Commissioner Gordon. Detectives Bullock and Montoya were on the scene, sweeping the area for clues. Gordon and Fox both watched as Alfred opened the door for Bruce, the billionaire and playboy emerging in his best suit and tie, approaching to join the two.

"Mr. Fox. Commissioner Gordon." Bruce greeted with a friendly smile.

"Mr. Wayne. Thank you for coming on such short notice. Mr. Fox informs me that you were on vacation in the Himalayas when this happened." Gordon said as Bruce giving a nod.

"I was but my vacation must come secondary whenever something like this happens. I understand two of my security guards lost their lives?" Bruce asked.

"Yeah. Poor souls got mowed down by the perpetrator. Guy was using an AK-47. Motive was simply wrong-place, wrong-time." Gordon said, Bruce looking to Fox.

"I'll want their names and addresses. I want to personally give my condolences to their families. Make sure their pensions are in order." Bruce instructed, Fox giving Bruce a nod.

"Already ahead of you, Mr. Wayne. The necessary files are on your desk in your office. Placed them there myself." Fox replied as Bruce turned to Gordon.

"I want the GCPD to know that, as usual, Wayne Enterprises will fully cooperate with you in this investigation." Bruce said as Gordon gave an appreciative nod.

"Much obliged, Mr. Wayne. Aside from the two murdered guards, nothing appears to have been stolen. The lab was trashed but aside from that I honestly can't pick out a motive. Any chances of it being corporate sabotage?" Gordon asked.

"The work going on in this particular lab was on a new type of jet engine. One with a higher fuel efficiency without sacrificing speed and efficiency. It was public knowledge and wouldn't really be stepping on anyone's toes. No other companies were working on this project." Mr. Fox replied. Bruce in the meantime was looking around. He had a strange feeling that he was being watched. He looked around towards the gate and saw a small sea of reporters snapping pictures of him at the scene. Amongst the paparazzi, he spotted an individual in a brown coat like the one seen in the footage from last night. He couldn't see his face but the fact he could see that his eyes were fixed squarely upon him was enough. His mind suddenly flashed back to the recording of the phone call he'd intercepted the day before.

" _-all this trouble and he's not even here!"_

" _What about your setback?"_

" _Leave that to me but you'll need to create a diversion to draw away the Batman."_

Bruce suddenly thought of something that made him pause in realization. He quietly turned back towards Gordon and Fox.

"Is there anything more, Commissioner?" Bruce asked. Gordon merely shrugged and shook his head.

"Not at this time, Mr. Wayne. I would appreciate it though if you'd stay in town for a while." Gordon requested, Bruce giving a polite nod.

"Already ahead of you on that. The Himalayas weren't quite as diverting as we'd have liked. We're thinking a cruise to the Caribbean instead. We won't leave until you let us, though." Bruce said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out his passport.

"What are you doing?" Jim asked, confused.

"Surrendering my Passport as a sign of good faith, Commissioner." Bruce said, holding his passport up, the front facing over his shoulder. He then handed the passport to Gordon who shrugged and pocketed it.

"Unnecessary but if you insist. Mind you, I find money in there, I will arrest you for bribing a police officer." Gordon said as Bruce gave a serious nod.

"I wouldn't have it any other way, Commissioner." Bruce said, getting back into his limo. Gordon and Fox both watched as the limo pulled away.

"What was that all about?" Gordon asked.

"Commissioner, I used to ask that question a lot. Now I've simply learned to expect the unexpected from Mr. Wayne and not to even bother asking his motives." Fox replied with a smile and a shrug.

…

In the limo, Bruce pulled one of the Batwave earpieces from his pocket, putting it into his ear.

"Nightwing, Robin, Blackbat, Oracle, come in." Bruce said into the communicator.

" _Robin here. What's up?" "This is Nightwing, go ahead." "Oracle, standing by."_

There was a short electronic tone from Blackbat to signal she was listening in.

"I need each of you to report to the Batcave immediately. Use the secret entrance and remain down there for the remainder of the day or until you receive further instructions." Bruce ordered.

" _Roger. Um, what do we do if we have a…another team member with us?"_ Robin asked. He was clearly referring to Spoiler.

"Demoness, are you there?" Bruce asked.

" _Here, beloved."_ Talia replied.

"Relieve Robin of Spoiler for the time being. Continue training her. Magician do you copy?" Bruce asked.

" _Loud and clear."_ Zatanna replied.

"Do you have eyes on Ryder?" Bruce asked.

" _Yeah but_ _his_ _eyes are on my legs. Up here? Thank you."_ Zatanna commented.

"Keep him occupied. Sedate him if necessary. Catwoman, what's your status?" Bruce asked.

" _Fencing the stolen jewelry I got paid with. It's total crap by the way. Haven't seen so much cubic zirconia in one place before. Kinda feel ripped off."_ Selina replied.

"Stop it and get to Wonder Tower. Assist Magician with keeping Ryder occupied. Everyone else, back to the cave. Priority one. Batman out." Bruce ordered before removing the earpiece.

"Expecting trouble, sir?" Alfred asked as Bruce sat back in his seat.

"My hunch proved correct. Alfred, you are aware of my stance on firearms, correct?" Bruce asked, earning a curious look from his butler via the rearview mirror.

"Forbidden, if I'm not mistaken." Alfred replied.

"Forbidden for myself and my team, but not for you, Alfred. I want you to keep a firearm with you at all times when we get back home Alfred." Bruce said, surprising the butler.

"Armed? Are you serious, Master Bruce?" Alfred asked.

"Deadly." Bruce replied, looking out the windows as Gotham's countryside rolled past his window.

* * *

 **8:32 PM  
Wayne Manor**

Bruce hadn't said a word since returning to Wayne Manor. He'd remained in the house all day, Alfred near him at all times while pantomiming the everyday life of the billionaire and playboy he pretended to be. Robin, Nightwing, and Blackbat had returned as ordered and had remained in the cave all day. Bruce had his batwave communicator in his ear but nothing had come through for hours. Finally, however, he checked his watch and then glanced out the window, noticing the darkened sky outside. He headed for a room at the heart of the mansion, followed closely by Alfred. The room was isolated from any windows or open doors and was hidden behind a fake bookshelf.

"Alfred. I want you to remain in this room tonight. Don't come out unless I give you the all clear." Bruce said, opening the secret door, revealing a well provisioned room with thick walls, a wall of television monitors each linked to a series of security cameras across the mansion but none in the batcave. There were several easy chairs including recliners that could act as beds and there was a well-stocked pantry of non-perishable provisions to last at least a month. There was also a gun-safe inside.

"The panic room, sir? Are you sure?" Alfred asked.

"Yes, Alfred. If I'm right, we'll have an unwelcomed guest pay a visit to the house sometime tonight. I want you to be ready and notify me if anything happens. If someone breaks in, engage the lockout security measures to trap them inside. There's also a hidden access tunnel to the Batcave in here. Use it only if you believe that the panic room won't be enough to protect you. I don't believe it will come to that but just be prepared in any case." Bruce instructed.

"I understand sir, but what about you?" Alfred asked, concerned for his master's safety.

"I'll be fine, Alfred. Don't worry about me." Bruce said. His batwave communicator suddenly came to life.

" _Batman! You need to get down here, quick! The Joker's making his move!"_ Oracle reported. Bruce put a hand to his earpiece.

"On my way, Oracle." Bruce replied, giving Alfred a nod. Alfred nodded back in return, stepping into the panic room which he closed behind him. Bruce made a b-line to his upstairs office, approaching his desk where a bust of his father sat on the bookshelf behind his desk. He approached the bust, putting his hands on the bust's ears, causing the bust's pupils to open, revealing a pair of retinal scanners hidden inside. Bruce looked into the scanners, his eyes being scanned before the pupils shut again. Bruce let go of the ears when he heard a beep.

" _Identity confirmed. Disengaging security protocols."_ An automated voice reported as he heard a series of metallic thunks and clicks on the other side. The bookcase then proceeded to slide down into the floor, revealing a hidden fireman's pole on the other side inside of a narrow shaft. Bruce quickly leapt onto the pole, riding it down as the bookcase moved back into place. He emerged in one of the upper levels of the Batcave, hurrying down the stairs to where he could see the rest of the Batclan gathered around the main computer. On the monitor was a live video feed of the Gotham City News. Vicki Vale sat at her desk while the headline showed a picture of the Joker's grinning face.

" _-only minutes ago, GCN and other news agencies across Gotham were interrupted and preempted by a pirate broadcast from the Clown Prince of Crime himself who has issued a declaration of war against the growing Batmen movement. This was the scene and we strongly advise viewers with young children watching to be advised that the following content may be unsuitable."_ Vicki reported before cutting to the recorded footage of the Joker's message. The Joker stood in front of what appeared to be a black backdrop.

" _Greeting's Gotham! Joker here! It's been a while since I entertained you but it's come to my attention that there's a bunch of loonies out there who are coming out of the closet and proclaiming their love for a certain giant black rodent! Like you can't find anything better to do on a December night, eh? Well, that's fine with me! I've been in your shoes before you know. All dressed up with nowhere to go? Well have I got good news for you, kiddos! I'm dressed up, you're dressed up, and you're itchin' to throw down with the clown! Well for all you bat-freaks out there, your wish is coming true."_ Joker said as he started to remove one of his gloves, revealing his chalk white hand underneath.

" _I, Joker, the Clown Prince of Crime, hereby challenge you, the Batmen, to a knock-down, drag-out, slobber knockin', brawl fest tonight in two hours outside of Gotham City Hall! There'll be fun and games, prizes to be won! You bring your crew, and I'll bring mine!"_ Joker said with a grin as Harley and Wild Card stepped into frame, Joker slapping the camera lightly with his glove before putting it back on.

" _What? You think you can take the three of us? Did I mention that the circus was back in town by the way? Because check out the freak show I've assembled!"_ Joker said before turning away from the camera and raising his arms, the black backdrop quickly being revealed to not be a backdrop at all but a darkened room that was quickly lit up that was full of at least five hundred thugs and goons, all in clown masks or clown makeup, cheering and jeering at the camera while raising their fists in the air, waving what few guns they had. Most of them were unarmed save for maybe a few brass knuckles, iron bars, golf clubs, baseball bats, tire irons, and crowbars. The Joker was laughing as the camera panned back onto him

" _See you soon, Bats! Oh and you too Batman! I'm sure you and Gotham's finest, won't pass this opportunity up either!"_ Joker laughed before the footage ended. Bruce immediately closed the feed altogether.

"Well, this is it. The battle between the Batmen and Jokers seems imminent. We've already confirmed several hundred social media responses from confirmed Batmen calling to rally and be ready to march against the Joker. Apparently he's at the top of their hit list." Barbara reported.

"Yeah and the GCPD are mobilizing Riot teams, SWAT, and the entire police force to City Hall to fortify it in preparation of the fight." Dick added.

"They'll be caught in the crossfire between the Batmen and Jokers if we don't do something." Tim said, all of them visibly concerned for what was coming. Bruce calmly looked at the monitor.

"We're not going to let that happen." Bruce said as he stepped over to the computer, entering a series of commands before turning towards the costume lockers. The Batclan heard a mechanical sound coming from the lockers and turned to see their usual costumes start to slide upwards on a metal track, four newer costumes sliding into their place. These costumes had more padding, slightly thicker armor. Nightwing and Robin's suits even had full cowls to them. Blackbat had a full helmet with the pointed bat ears. The Batclan started to approach the new costumes curiously.

"I had these made in the event of something like this. I hoped I'd never have to use them, but desperate times calls for desperate measures." Bruce said as they marveled over their new costumes.

"Whoa." Barbara commented in awe. They then heard more mechanical sounds and looked over to see the four seater Batmobile being lowered down into the garage level below along with the Nightcycle and R-Cycle. A few seconds later, they heard the lift platforms start to rise, raising up a heavily armored Batmobile with only a single seat, and two newer, more armored versions of the Nightcycle and R-Cycle.

"What is that, a Bat Tank?" Tim asked. They then heard another mechanical sound from overhead as Bruce then approached, putting a hand on Barbara's shoulder.

"Did you do as I instructed?" Bruce asked. Barbara looked up at him, confused but nodded anyway.

"I've been working out daily for hours. I don't know what good it'll do though." She said but Bruce looked up as they saw a metal pod being carried into the cave on a track from one of the cave's side areas. The pod lowered itself down next to the costume vaults, opening to reveal a brand new Batgirl costume. Barbara and the others looked at it in awe.

"Bruce…" she stammered, putting a hand to the glass, a confused look on her face.

"Bruce I can't…I can't walk, the therapy only helped build my upper body strength. You can't expect me to go out in the field as a paraplegic!" Barbara said but Bruce shook his head.

"No, I expect you to go out there as Batgirl." He replied, heading towards a part of the cave that overlooked a large chasm, the underground river below flowing far beneath them.

"Bruce, you're not making any sense. How do you expect her to fight when she can't even stand?!" Dick asked, getting angry at the Batman. Bruce continued walking towards the edge of the cave, a pedestal rising from under the floor with a palm scanner on it.

"It didn't stop me." Bruce replied as he placed his hand on the scanner. This confused the others for a moment.

"What are you talking about, you never-…" Dick said but paused when he realized what Bruce was talking about.

"Bane…your first encounter with Bane. He broke your back. You were stuck in a chair for almost a month convalescing, but not until after you came back and defeated him!" Dick said as the others looked confused.

"Wait, how did Batman beat Bane when his back was broken?" Tim asked.

"It was before even I came along. I only heard rumors. He's never told me how he did it." Dick said as Bruce looked towards them with a small but noticeable smirk which immediately disconcerted the others.

"He's smirking. Batman is smirking. That's never good is it?" Tim asked. At that time, they heard the sound of a powerful industrial lift starting to move, raising something up from the shadows that caused all four of the Batclan members to tilt their heads up slowly together.

"Barbara." Tim said.

"Yeah?"

"I've never before envied you until this very moment." Tim commented.

"Me too." Barbara replied, a little awed at what they saw.

* * *

 **10:30 PM  
Gotham City Hall**

The area outside City Hall was a 3-way intersection. The east road ran towards the Gotham docks, the west towards the bowery, and the south ran for at least five blocks before reaching Wayne Tower which similarly offered a clear view straight down the street towards City Hall. The GCPD had already evacuated City Hall and had setup fortifications around its steps. SWAT and riot teams were already in place, ready to repel attackers. Large searchlights had been set up on the roof of City Hall and some of the nearby adjacent buildings, illuminating the streets surrounding City Hall. There were nearly two dozen cops visible but there were hundreds more inside of City Hall proper, waiting to move on a moment's notice. Gordon stood in full riot gear sans helmet, waiting with bated breath as the appointed hour came upon them. Sure enough, one of the officers watching the western road saw movement coming up the street.

"Commissioner!" the officer reported. Gordon approached, raising a pair of binoculars. Approaching up the street were more than five hundred Batmen with Robert Lane at the front, armed with an M-16 Assault Rifle as they marched up the street, heading towards City Hall.

"Alright boys! Take positions!" Gordon ordered, the officers quickly taking positions. Gordon picked up a bullhorn and waited patiently until the Batmen had reached the intersection before raising it up.

"This is the GCPD! Disperse! We will use lethal force if necessary!" Gordon called into the bullhorn.

"Not until we get the Joker!" one of the Batmen yelled, causing the rest to cheer aggressively.

"I won't ask again! Disperse or we will take action!" Gordon yelled into the bullhorn.

"We don't take orders from dirty cops!" another of the Batmen yelled in response, causing the Batmen to cheer again and start chanting "Dir-ty-cops! Dir-ty-cops! Dir-ty-cops!"

"Oh great, they're chanting, Commish. Say the word and I'll lob a few tear gas canisters in. That'll get 'em to scatter." Bullock commented as Gordon allowed a groan to escape him.

"We probably better. If Joker shows up with his crew now, we're royally scre-…" Gordon said but paused when they heard what sounded like music coming from the East. Everyone turned and looked to see a large group of people in clown masks or face paint, roughly five hundred of them, making their way towards City Hall. In the center of them was a flatbed truck with its lights on, rolling up the street with them. The truck was painted in green, purple, and white, with large sound speakers on the back pumping out AC/DC's Highway to Hell as it approached while searchlights rotated around behind the speakers, making the approaching army look like a party. At the head of the crowd, dancing his way down the street, twirling his crowbar like a majorette's baton, was the Clown Prince of Crime himself. On either side of him was Harley Quinn and Wild Card, the two henchwomen carrying their signature weapons while holding onto the leashes of Joker's pet hyena's, Bud and Lou, the hyenas attempting to charge the police and Batmen but being held back by Harley and Card.

"You were sayin' Commish?" Harvey asked as Gordon and the officers took up positions on all sides, the Jokers reaching the intersection, Joker motioning to cut the music. The Joker turned his grin towards the Batmen and the Police.

"Well, this is quite the gathering we have here! So glad you accepted my invitation!" Joker chuckled as the Batmen scowled and jeered at him, each of them ready to put him down.

"Your reign of terror over Gotham ends tonight, clown!" Lane yelled, the Batmen cheering and brandishing their weapons. Joker merely rested his crowbar on his shoulder.

"You must be the head poncho around here! The one who made this little get together possible! So tell me, are you the one who framed the Bat? Hmm? Whoever did was a genius and I'd love to shake your hand if you did!" Joker chortled, holding his left hand out slightly to show his electrified joy buzzer in his hand.

"Don't play coy, Joker! You had to be the one to frame the Batman!" Lane yelled. Joker merely laughed.

"Hate to spoil the gag, slugger, but it's like I told the Bat the other day, I'm innocent this time. Sure had my hopes up though. Made a cake for the Bat and everything to celebrate his finally going crazy. So thanks to whoever ruined it for me." Joker replied.

"You aren't going to get away from justice this time, Joker! This time you're facing street justice!" Lane yelled, causing the batmen to cheer. At the same time, some of the cops and a few of the Jokers looked at each other.

"Where've I heard that line before?" Harvey asked.

"Yeah, it's like it's from a movie." Harley commented.

"Enough talk! BATMEN!" Lane yelled, cocking his rifle, the Batmen raising their weapons. The Jokers and Police did the same.

"Don't even think about it!" Gordon yelled into the bullhorn. Before either side could do anything, they heard a rumbling sound in the distance that was getting closer and closer.

"What's that sound?" Bullock asked but Gordon quietly knew what it was and looked down the south street towards Wayne Tower. Sure enough he saw a set of bright lights approaching rapidly towards them. The lights were connected to sleek black armored machine that resembled a tank. The Batmobile powerslid to a stop just before the intersection, the sight of the Batmobile causing the Batmen to let out a cheer as Batman emerged from the driver's seat in a more heavily armored suit.

"A freakin' tank?! How come we don't have a tank?!" Harley yelped.

"But we do have tanks! See? Tanks!" Wild Card replied, holding up a tank of Smile-X. Joker chuckled at the joke.

"Not bad kiddo. So there you are, Batsy! I was wondering when you'd show up!" Joker chortled.

"All of you, leave! Now!" Batman yelled.

"No way, Batman! It's time we took back our city from the likes of the Joker! We're not leaving until he leaves…in a box!" Lane yelled, the Batmen cheering but earning a glare from Batman.

"I can prove that this, all of this, the Batmen, the frame-up on me, and even the break-in at the Wayne Enterprises Research Lab last night, is all connected as a much larger scheme, and that one of the two suspects behind it are here at this very moment!" Batman declared, the Batmen, Jokers, and GCPD looking at each other in confusion.

"Who is it, Batman?" Gordon asked but Joker interrupted.

"Oh who cares about that?! I'm here to make some batmen bleed! So is this bloodthirsty crew behind me!" Joker taunted.

"I won't let either one of you kill each other!" Batman declared but Wild Card scoffed.

"Oh yeah?! You and what army?!" She asked, the Jokers all laughing menacingly along with her.

"Yeah you turned on us, Batman! I saw you attack us at the Iceberg Lounge! You helped Cobblepot escape justice! Is that an admission of guilt or are you one of those suspects you mentioned?!" Lane asked, the Batmen voicing their agreement. Batman quietly looked over the crowd before pressing a button on his gauntlet.

The night sky overhead was suddenly illuminated by the sight of the Batsignal. Suddenly they heard the sound of motorbikes fast approaching and saw the R-Cycle and Night-Cycle come flying out from around two opposite corners, crisscrossing to come to a stop on either side of the Batmobile, Robin and Spoiler on the R-Cycle while Nightwing and Blackbat rode in on the Night-Cycle. The four climbed off their vehicles, joining the Batman as Catwoman and Demoness then swung in from opposite buildings and landed near the Batmobile, moving to join Batman.

" _!ecnartne dnarG"_ Magician's voice echoed before a large puff of pink and purple smoke appeared atop the Batmobile, revealing Magician sitting across it in a stylistic pose before climbing off and joining the others. It didn't stop there as they heard insane laughter echoing through the streets as a bright yellow streak came flying down from a building, landing hard against the pavement but quickly popping up without a scratch. It was a man with bright yellow skin, Joker green hair, and wearing a pair of red boots and elbow length gloves, a green and black striped speedo, and a large red feather boa around the back, while wearing a grin plastered across his face.

"This just in, the Creeper's back in town!" Creeper declared as he got onto all fours, giggling as she crawled over to the Batclan. Harley let out a whine at the sight of him.

"Oh yech! Not him again!" Harley moaned. Lane however scoffed.

"You honestly expect all nine of you to take on all of us at once?!" Lane asked but Batman didn't react. They then heard the sound of powerful booster rockets overhead cut out just seconds before a large black monstrosity landed in a dust cloud between the Batclan and the Batmobile. They soon saw a pair of glowing white-blue eyes piercing through the cloud along with a neon blue Bat emblem as the dust settled to reveal a ten-foot-tall exosuit of black metal plating, the bat emblem across the chest and looking the Batmen and Jokers over. The helmet then opened and pulled back, revealing a smirking Batgirl inside.

"Guess who's back, punks?!" Batgirl said, bringing the Bat-Bot's hands together as if cracking her knuckles.

* * *

 **End Chapter 8**

For visual references, assume that Batman's armored costume is his Arkham Knight attire. Alternatively, you can assume the armored batsuit from Arkham Asylum. Robin and Nightwing, I don't have any visual references for. Blackbat's armor however is ultimately a more femininely built version of the Arkham Knight's armor only solid black with the yellow Batman logo on the chest and with a cape. We can also assume the armored Batmobile is the Arkham Knight Batmobile.


	9. Battle of the Bat

"Guess who's back, punks?!" Batgirl said, bringing the Bat-Bot's hands together as if cracking her knuckles. The Batmen, Jokers, and even the GCPD were taken aback by the sight of the ten-foot-tall Bat-Bot.

"I won't ask again! Stand down!" Batman ordered. The Batmen and most of the Jokers appeared to be apprehensive to take on the Batclan especially with the tank-like batmobile and the towering Bat-Bot on their side. Joker and Lane noticed this, Lane cocking his rifle.

"You're not going to get in our way Batman! Joker dies tonight!" Lane yelled, Joker pulling a semi-automatic from his jacket.

"Yes by all means, let's see who fires the first shot!" Joker chuckled. The GCPD had weapons trained on the Batmen and Jokers but neither side was expecting the Joker to suddenly spin around and shoot one of his own men in the head.

"Looks like it's me! Let the party begin!" Joker laughed as Harley and Wild Card released the leashes on the hyenas, Bud and Lou charging towards the Batmen. Lane attempted to fire at the hyenas but his gun was suddenly destroyed from a small explosive charge that Batman threw onto it

" _!egac leetS"_ Magician yelled, the two hyenas quickly becoming trapped in a cage that appeared out of thin air. This was enough for the Batmen and Jokers to charge towards each other. Batman and the rest of his team quickly rushed in between them, the GCPD quickly moving in as well. Batman hit a button on his gauntlet, causing the batmobile to fire off a shower of smoke pellets into the crowd, making it impossible for either side to risk opening fire with their fire arms, practically forcing them into melee combat. The Batclan and team was taking on both Batmen and Jokers, disarming them as swiftly as possible. The helmet on the Bat-Bot had since closed around Batgirl's head as she stepped into the fray, firing off a large plastic disk over the crowd of Jokers, the disk spinning and releasing a rain of tranquilizer darts down on the Jokers, knocking out over half of them. Joker quickly grabbed Harley as a human shield, a dart hitting her in the back.

"OW! You cru~ud! When'd you get all wavy Mista' J? Yes I'll have your chickens." She slurred before falling to the ground, unconscious. Joker merely laughed in amusement.

"Can't hold your chloroform can you kid?!" Joker laughed before charging into the cloud. Bat-bot had fired off another tranq-disc into the crowd of Batmen, knocking out more than half of them. Wild Card was wildly flailing around in the smoke before suddenly smacking something that she hoped was one of the Batclan or Batmen.

"Oh I think I hit something! What was-…huh?" she yelped as she saw the grinning visage of the Creeper staring at her, completely unharmed from the direct hit to the head from her bat.

"Aren't you a little young to be handling a weapon of this size?" Creeper asked, causing Wild Card to backpedal in revulsion.

"Oh you are a creeper!" she screamed.

"I like to think of myself as a yellow skinned wacky man!" Creeper replied, blindly throwing a punch behind him, knocking out a passing Joker thug.

"You're crazy!" she screamed, swinging at him with her bat but Creeper merely spun to the side in a dance pose.

"Come, let us rumba!" Creeper said in a faux-Spanish accent, starting to belt out Danny Boy to the tune of Cuban Pete, dancing strangely, each swing of his hand or kick of his feet landing a hit on one of the nearby Jokers or Batmen as Wild Card started to back away from him.

"Oh yikes!" Wild Card yelped as she started to run away, Creeper dancing after her with an insane giggle. Meanwhile the fight continued to rage within the smoke, Demoness using masterful hand-to-hand combat skills and her sheathed sword to render Batmen, Jokers, and police unconscious. Robin and Nightwing were fighting very close to one another but didn't know the other was there until Robin spun around and punched Nightwing across the face but quickly realized his mistake.

"Oh! Nightwing! Sorry man!" Robin yelped but was quickly smacked in the stomach by one of Nightwing's escrima sticks, causing him to double over, allowing Nightwing to fling one of his escrimas into the face of an approaching Joker thug behind Robin.

"All's forgiven!" Nightwing replied, vaulting over Robin who popped back up in time to punch one of the Batmen upside the jaw.

"Good to know there's no resentment there!" Robin replied. Nearby, Blackbat was nimbly evading two Jokers who were trying to stab her with a pair of fishing knives. She quickly bataranged one in the face, causing him to stagger back, giving her the opportunity to sidestep the second's thrust with the knife, grabbing him by the arm and then proceeding to headbutt him, her armored helmet making a loud crack upon impact, knocking him out. The dazed thug had just come back around and was about to attack Blackbat from behind but she quickly spun around and superkicked him in the jaw, knocking him out cold. Catwoman was using her whip with a fury, lassoing thugs by the neck and yanking them back where she'd kick or punch them in the back of the head. She'd also spin them around and deliver two swipes to the face with her clawed hands. Spoiler was putting up a decent fight, managing to slip through the fog, tripping up goons in her path from behind and bring her still raised leg down for a vicious groin stomp, causing excruciating pain to the thugs. Robin noticed one of these and cringed.

"Remind me never to piss you off!" He said as they got back-to-back.

"Spoiler alert! That would kinda be counterproductive on both sides, huh?!" Spoiler replied.

"Fair point!" Robin commented. Magician was making her way through the crowds, casting magic spells on the goons she could find. One goon came at her from behind but she spotted him and spun to the side, pointing her magic wand at him.

" _!uoy htiw egac eht otnI"_ Magician said, the goon suddenly disappearing in a poof of pink smoke, only to reappear inside one of the hyena cages and then get mauled by the creature. In the meantime, Batman was fighting his way through the Batmen and Jokers, using his detective vision to search for one person in particular. Finally he spotted the person he was after just as the smoke began to clear. Lane was fighting with the broken remnants of his rifle, using them to bludgeon the Jokers and cops that came into his path. What he didn't notice was the Joker, grinning at him as he crept through the remnants of the smoke. Batman spotted Joker's movements and started making his way through the crowd of fighting thugs, cops, and vigilantes. Before he could reach him, Joker started laughing, raising his crowbar. Lane spun around just in time for the Joker to bring his crowbar down on him with an insane laugh. What happened when the crowbar hit though caused Joker to pause with confusion on his face.

"Huh?" The Joker asked as he noticed the crowbar, instead of breaking the skin like normal, had unnaturally sunken into Lane's shoulder at the point of impact. Lane's expression was one of mild panic. The Joker's look of confusion suddenly turned back into a wide grin.

"Now that's funny! Good to see you again, mud-pack!" Joker laughed as Lane's expression turned to full blown panic. Joker managed to pull the crowbar free just as Lane attempted to grab him. Batman had seen the whole thing however and reared back a batarang with cyan-blue edging and threw it at him, the batarang stabbing into Lane's back, causing him to stagger slightly before the batarang suddenly electrified, hitting Lane with a painful amount of electricity, causing him to scream in pain. The entire fight seemed to come to a stop, everyone turning to watch Lane being electrocuted in surprise before he suddenly melted away into a thick brown sludge.

"What the-?! Commish! He killed another one!" Harvey exclaimed but, Gordon, who had seen everything, knew better.

"Take another look detective!" Gordon yelled as everyone started gathering around the sludge but Batman knew better.

"Everyone get back! It's not Robert Lane! It never was!" Batman yelled, confusing everyone.

"Who is it then?!" one of the Batmen asked.

"Want to tell them Karlo or shall I?" Batman asked the sludge which started to move, growing to a large size before a pair of thick and lumpy arms and legs appeared from the sludge followed by a large face which let out a groan.

"I give you one of the two conspirators against me, Commissioner. Bazil Karlo, alias: Clayface." Batman announced as Clayface snarled at him. Batman then turned back towards him.

"It's over Clayface! Your plan failed!" Batman said but Clayface let out a growl.

"That's what you think, Batman! This is the chance I've been waiting for!" he yelled, raising his fist which became a large spiked mace.

"Batgirl! Now!" Batman yelled. Before Clayface could swing his mace-fist, he was struck by a beam of white-blue energy, freezing in place beneath a thick layer of ice. Everyone looked and saw the Bat-Bot standing nearby with one of Mr. Freeze's freeze rays hotwired into a secret compartment on the arm and pointed at Clayface. Only Clayface's head was free but his body was just cold enough he couldn't shapeshift without risk of shattering.

"NRGH! Damn it Batman! You might've caught me, but Tom's plan will still be a success!" Clayface spat.

"Plan? What plan?" Gordon asked but was quickly interrupted by a sudden gunshot in the air.

"Who cares?! Let's get back to the party!" Joker exclaimed but paused when he saw all of the remaining Batmen, the GCPD, and the Batclan all glaring at him. He was suddenly grabbed by Bat-bot and put into a reproduction of Bane's Bat-Breaker move, receiving a metal knee to the back, causing Joker to scream in agony as he flopped to the ground, his back broken by Batgirl.

"You don't know how long I've waited to do that, Joker." Batgirl said in a low murderous tone. Joker's cries of pain turned to laughter.

"Was…it something I said?" Joker wheezed as Gordon approached Batman.

"You mentioned some kind of a plan?" Gordon asked. Before Batman could answer, he heard a beeping sound in his earpiece.

"Just a moment. Go ahead." He said into his radio.

" _Terribly sorry to disturb you, sir, but your uninvited guest has arrived. As ordered, I've engaged the internal security and locked him inside. Oh please do come and deal with him as soon as you can. He's throwing quite the tantrum. He's already destroyed a priceless Ming vase."_ Alfred reported.

"I'm on my way. Stay put." Batman said, turning and running for the batmobile.

"Batman! Wait! Where are you going?!" Gordon asked.

"Wayne Manor!" Batman replied, leaping into the driver's seat and tearing off into Gotham. Nightwing, Robin, and Blackbat wasted no time in rushing to their vehicles, Blackbat riding with Nightwing.

"Wayne Manor?" Montoya asked, confused.

"Don't ask questions! Someone get me a squad car and a SWAT team!" Gordon barked, leaving the GCPD and the remaining Batclan to round up the defeated Batmen and Jokers.

* * *

 **11:21 PM  
Wayne Manor**

A man in a brown overcoat, black turtleneck, black pants, hiking boots, black gloves, and with his head wrapped completely in bandages, stormed his way through the halls of Wayne Manor, overturning furniture, trying to smash the windows with the butt of an AK-47 he carried, but found a metal security door dropping over the window whenever he got close, preventing his escape.

"WAYNE! Show yourself Wayne! Where are you!" the man yelled into the apparently empty mansion. He entered into the main hall, stalking around and raising his gun when the lights suddenly went out, only a few emergency lights kicking on.

"What?! What's going on?!" the man asked.

"Your plan's failed, Hush." Batman's voice echoed through the hall, causing the man to freeze in disbelief.

"Batman! No, it's not possible! You're not supposed to be here! Karlo was supposed to kill you!" Hush, the criminal identity of Dr. Thomas Eliot, exclaimed in shock, staggering around in search of Batman.

"I figured out your plan, Hush. For weeks, you'd arranged jewelry store heists in the hopes that I would intervene and help the GCPD arrest the suspects. You'd be hiding from the shadows, watching and waiting with Clayface. Then once I'd made the arrest, you moved in and murdered the suspect, stabbing him in the neck with a batarang you retrieved years ago. The evidence would point to me as being the suspect, forcing the GCPD to begin a manhunt. During the chaos, to insure I stayed away, you had Clayface impersonate Robert Lane and organize the Batmen Militia, knowing that I wouldn't allow innocents to get thrust into danger so easily. You even hired Catwoman to steal the batarang murder weapon from the police in the hopes that its absence would further the appearance of my guilt." Batman explained, Hush beginning to sweat beneath his bandages. Batman then continued.

"With the Batmen keeping me occupied and the GCPD busy looking for me, you were free to move in and attempt to assassinate your target: Bruce Wayne. But you didn't expect him to be out of the country on vacation, so you had to do something to bring him back to Gotham. You attacked one of the Wayne Enterprises Research Labs, killing two of his guards, knowing that it would be enough to force his return. And it worked. Problem is, I discovered your plan and warned Wayne ahead of time. By the time he returned here from the lab, the trap was set and you walked right into it, Eliot." Batman said, causing Hush to tremble.

"It's impossible! You couldn't have found that information!" Hush yelled into the room as he backed away towards the door only to bump into something, he spun around to come face to face with the Batman. Batman promptly punched him across the face. Hush staggered back but recovered with a growl, pointing the gun at the Batman, firing and forcing Batman to rush into cover.

"I may not be able to get to Wayne, but I'll at least be able to do Karlo's job for him!" Hush yelled, emptying his clip. He threw the empty rifle away and pulled a knife from inside his jacket just as Batman came rushing in, the two men beginning to grapple over the knife. Hush managed to shove back the Batman but as he reared back the knife, there was a loud gunshot that echoed through the manor, Hush collapsing to the ground with a cry of pain, a painful gunshot wound to the left side. Batman quickly kicked the knife away from Hush's hand before turning with a batarang primed but froze when he saw the gunman, cocking the pump-action shotgun in his hand.

"I do believe there is a degree of irony to this as Doctor Eliot is now in need of a doctor." Alfred said, keeping the gun trained on the injured Hush who kept his hands raised while breathing heavily.

…

Nightwing, Robin, and Blackbat had arrived ahead of the police and were stood on the second floor walkway overlooking the main hall as the GCPD and paramedics carted off the wounded and unmasked Hush. Batman stood nearby as Commissioner Gordon took Alfred's statement.

"Well Mr. Pennyworth, that was a brave thing you did. Thanks to you and the Batman we've apprehended the guy who tried to kill your boss. He'll be facing an attempted murder charge for sure." Gordon said but Batman gave a shake of his head.

"Don't forget to add three murder charges as well." Batman added, surprising Gordon.

"Murder?" Gordon asked.

"The two guards at Wayne Enterprises. Check the ballistics on that AK and I believe you'll find that they're a match to the gun used against the guards. And then there's the man I was accused of killing. It might be more difficult to prove but I believe Clayface can verify that it was Hush that murdered the man. You will also note that the batarang stabbed the victim in the carotid artery. Only a surgeon or medical professional would think to stab there." Batman explained as Gordon gave a nod.

"I'm inclined to accept the new evidence. Of course, Clayface will be going back to Arkham and Eliot, well, we'll see about him. There's just a couple of things you haven't answered." Gordon said, Batman arching a curious eyebrow.

"And that is?" he asked.

"Where does the Joker fit into all of this?" Gordon asked.

"The Joker wasn't involved, not directly. He only raised an army for the sole purpose of countering the Batmen. He had no prior knowledge of Clayface or Hush's plan. He just saw an excuse to create chaos." Batman explained, Gordon nodding in agreement.

"It makes sense, kinda. Hard to believe Joker's actually the pawn in this but it does fit the evidence. So now for my other question: Where's Bruce Wayne?" Gordon asked. Blackbat, Nightwing, and Robin all froze, looking amongst each other with worry. Batman's identity could be exposed because of this.

"I'm right here commissioner." A familiar voice said. They all turned to see, emerging from one of the side rooms, was none other than Bruce Wayne himself, his hands behind his back and dressed in his best suit. The three sidekicks were slack jawed at the sight of the Playboy and Billionaire standing right next to his crime fighting alter ego.

"I was returning to the mansion from the lab when Batman contacted me. He warned me that there was a plot against my life and asked if I'd be willing to use Wayne Manor to set a trap for the would-be assassin. I hid in my panic room with Alfred while Tom trashed the manor looking for me. We engaged the security lockouts to trap him inside for the Batman. When Batman arrived, Alfred took a shotgun and went to assist." Bruce explained.

"Well I suppose then that you owe Batman your life. I'll be advising the DA to drop the charges against you Batman. Please accept my humblest of apologies." Gordon said, extending his hand which Batman shook.

"Apology accepted, Jim. But you know that you did exactly as I expected you to." Batman said as Gordon gave a slight nod.

"Thank you. Mr. Wayne if I could get you to come by the station in the morning, give a more formal statement. Oh and you can pick up your passport from my office while we're at it." Gordon said, Bruce giving a cordial nod.

"Of course, Commissioner." Bruce said as Gordon turned and started to leave along with the rest of the GCPD. Once they had left, the Batclan gathered around Batman and "Bruce Wayne."

"Okay, how the hell did you pull this off?" Nightwing asked. Batman motioned to wait as he turned towards Alfred.

"Alfred, my briefcase please." Batman said as Alfred gave a nod and walked away towards the kitchen.

"I told you, I was innocent." Batman said to "Bruce."

"We never doubted that but as per your request, we did take the 'wait and see' approach. We're just glad to know your innocence has been proven and your charges are cleared." "Bruce replied.

"There's already an uptick in the crime rate here in Gotham. I'll need to focus on that for the time being before I can focus on anything else. I also have a prior commitment." Batman replied as "Bruce" gave a nod.

"Of course." He replied as Alfred returned with an attaché case which he promptly opened to reveal two family sized cases of Oreo cookies inside. "Bruce" arched a curious eyebrow with a smile.

"With my thanks." Batman replied as "Bruce" took the cases, tucking them under one arm before smiling towards Batman and disappearing into thin air.

"What the-…Wait was that-...?!" Nightwing asked but Batman simply walked away.

"Alfred, disengage the security lockdown. We're all clear." Batman said.

* * *

 **End Chapter 9**


	10. Aftermath

**December 5th  
2:13 AM  
Wonder Tower – Observation Deck**

The Batclan and their allies were gathered together for the final time. Jack Ryder had put on another patch to subdue the Creeper and was his normal self again.

"I wanted to thank you for your assistance. You each put yourselves at great risk to help me clear my name when you had no reason to believe I was innocent. You helped to prevent all-out war in Gotham and apprehend two criminals from succeeding in an elaborate murder plot. For that, you have my thanks. You are free to keep the Batwave devices. I've remotely deactivated them but should I need your assistance, I'll reactivate them." Batman explained as he looked across to each of his allies.

"Hey, it was the least that I could do. I mean I almost got you sent up the river after all." Catwoman replied.

"You'd have done the same for us and in some cases you have already." Magician added.

"Yeah and chances are this won't even see the light of day in the media. There's somethings that'd just be impossible to explain so no worries on this ever getting published." Ryder said with a smirk.

"Yeah, spoiler alert, the real reason it won't see the light of day is because it got magically whisked away to the RMS Titanic." Spoiler commented, earning a purse lipped glare from Ryder. Magician had indeed teleported his notes into the ocean.

"We did what was right, beloved." Demoness said as Batman looked towards his team.

"Ryder, Nightwing will take you home. Robin, return Spoiler to her home as well. Catwoman, Magician, I don't believe you need transportation." Batman said as the two women both smiled coyly at him.

"Of course not." Catwoman replied.

"Want a lift Selina?" Magician asked.

"Don't suppose you could send me to the Louvre, could you?" Catwoman asked with a smirk.

"Selina." Batman said in a warning tone.

"Just kidding…kinda." Selina replied before Magician raised her magic wand.

" _!yawA tropeleT"_ She said before she and Catwoman vanished in a puff of pink smoke. Nightwing, Ryder, Robin, and Spoiler all departed, Blackbat following after them, leaving Batman alone with Talia who immediately removed her mask and hood, smiling at the Dark Knight.

"You remember our arrangement, beloved? I'm still holding you to it." She said as Batman gave a nod.

"I have already made the arrangements." Batman replied. Talia smiled at this.

"Excellent. I'll meet you at sunrise by the dock." She replied before turning and leaping off of the railing, leaving the Dark Knight alone at the top of the tower.

* * *

 **8:10 AM  
Wayne Manor**

" _The road outside of City Hall was the scene of a violent four way street brawl between the GCPD, The Batmen led by Robert Lang, the Jokers led by the Joker, and finally a team of costumed vigilantes led by the Batman which left hundreds injured but no so far no fatalities have been reported. During the brawl, it was revealed that Robert Lang was in fact the Rogue's Gallery criminal and former actor Bazil Karlo, alias Clayface. Karlo is reported to have confessed to being an accomplice in a plot to frame the Batman for murder and Police have reported that they later apprehended Dr. Thomas Eliot, alias Hush, attempting to murder billionaire Bruce Wayne at his home in Wayne Manor, as the actual perpetrator of the murder the Batman was previously accused of. At this time the murder charges against the Batman have been dropped. The Batmen have since disbanded and although dozens of Batmen are facing criminal charges, hundreds more remain at large. The Joker and his crew have largely been apprehended. The Joker, Harley Quinn, and Wild Card have been returned to Arkham Asylum along with Clayface, although the Joker had to be rushed to Arkham's medical wing with a broken back, an injury sustained during the melee. Additional charges are also being brought against Dr. Eliot as a string of jewelry store robberies committed over the past few days have been directly connected to Dr. Eliot. Dr. Eliot was taken to Thomas Wayne Memorial after being shot in self-defense by Mr. Wayne's butler, whose name has not been released. In related news, the real Robert Lang was found alive and well in Yellowstone National Park on a camping trip with his family. He reported that his camping trip brought him out of range of most communications and was completely unaware of the recent events in Gotham. He has formally spoken against the Batmen Organization, stating that the law should be upheld by the Police, not civilian militias and has expressed no interest in continuing to lead the Batmen organization."_ Vicki Vale reported over the radio as Dick Grayson, Tim Drake, Cassandra Cain, and Barbara Gordon helped clean up the manor after Hush's rampage the night before.

"So how satisfying was it, Barb, to 'Crack the Clown?' as Tim has been calling it?" Dick asked as Barbara took a breath.

"Not quite as satisfying as I'd have liked. Arkham doctors report that the damage was temporary. He'll be able to walk again in about six to eight months. Still, it's a victory…and still satisfying." Barbara replied, pulling on a pair of levers on her chair to enable her to "stand" upright without leaving the chair, using the height to put a few fallen books back up onto a bookshelf.

"I'm just glad you're back out in the field again. It's about time we got a ten ton mecha on our side." Tim commented but paused when Barbara gave him a helpless looking smile, almost implying bad news which Tim noticed.

"Oh no, don't tell me-…" Tim said, disappointment sweeping his face.

"Bruce locked the Bat-Bot back down before he left. Said it was a rare one-off moment. Batgirl's back into retirement after her one-night only return." Barbara replied as Tim groaned.

"Oh come on, that's not fair!" Tim argued.

"Well, when you think about it, there's not much call for the ten-ton robot in our line of work. I mean you can't exactly be subtle with that thing. And what if it broke down in the field? Babs would be stuck." Dick commented as Barbara nodded.

"He's right. Besides I've kinda grown accustomed to the whole Oracle thing." Barbara replied as she straightened the lamp shade on a table lamp. Cassandra then whistled for their attention.

" _Where is Bruce?"_ she signed.

"Giving his statement over at GCPD. After that he's going on a luxury cruise on the sea on his yacht with some supermodel." Dick replied, confusing Tim and Cassandra but no Barbara.

"Wait, Gotham's still a mess and he's going on a cruise with some floozy?" Tim asked. Dick and Barbara exchanged coy smirks.

"Look up the name of the model. Her name is Natalie Raatko." Dick said as Tim and Cass both pulled out their smartphones, looking up the name via their remote connection to the Batcave Computer.

"Natalie Raatko…hang on, I'm getting an alias flag linking to Talia al-…oh." Tim said as Cassandra coyly smirked, shaking her head.

"Well, Bruce is technically considered a playboy." Dick commented with a smirk as he and the rest of the Batclan resumed their cleaning of Wayne Manor, knowing that somewhere on the ocean, the Batman was taking a much deserved vacation. Now, whether Batman wanted to be on vacation was a different matter entirely…

* * *

 **The End**

Well this was fun and I hope you had fun reading it. Hopefully there'll be some more Batman stories in the future. So be sure to keep coming back for more.

Just one thing, Bruce and Talia are going on a romantic cruise, yes, but it will not lead to the conception of Damian Wayne. Damian Wayne does not and will not exist in my universe. I'm not a fan of Damian since he's too keen to violate the cardinal "no-killing" rule as set forth by Batman. As such he doesn't exist in this universe and never will.


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